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N.O.W. 

Vol.49  No.  4 


News 

Winter  2011 


Numismatists  of  Wisconsin 

is  incorporated  in  the  state  of  Wisconsin  as  a non-stock  nonprofit  tax  exempt  corporation. 

Contributions  are  tax  deductible 

The  objective  of  Numismatists  of  Wisconsin  is  to  encourage  and  promote  interest  in  numismatics,  to 
cultivate  friendly  relations  between  Wisconsin  coin  collectors  and  Wisconsin  coin  clubs,  and  to  encour- 
age and  assist  new  numismatic  hobbyists.  All  resources  of  the  organization  shall  be  used  to  further  these 
objectives.  Dues  are  $10  per  year  and  entitles  participants  to  NOW  News,  this  quarterly  publication. 
Among  the  services  offered  are  coin  authentication,  a Speaker’s  Bureau,  show  calendar  coordination  and 
guidelines  to  assist  coin  clubs  hosting  the  annual  NOW  convention. 

Numismatists  of  Wisconsin  holds  Life  Memberships  in  the  American  Numismatic  Association  and 
Central  States  Numismatic  Society. 


Winter 

2011 


NOW  Website  Update  3 

ANA  & Central  States 4-5 

Coin  Club  News 5-6 

BookNook 7-8 

What’s  New? 9-14 

Coin  Club  Meetings 31 

NOW  Officers  & Application 33 

Show  Calendar 34-35 


Articles  The  Ultimate  Maverick  14-15 

The  Badger  Honor  Flight  Medal  17-18 

In  Search  of  A.F.  Dyer  19-23 

Finders  Keepers? 24-25 

Stocking  full  of  Caution 25 

Attorney’s  Advice  - No  Charge 26-27 


NOW  News  Deadlines 

February  1 , May  1 , August  1 and  November  1 

website  www.numismatistsofwisconsin.org 


2 


N.O.W. 


NOW  Website  Update 

www.numismatistsofwisconsin  .com 

[by  Leon  Saryan  #1 OOL] 

NOW  has  operated  a professionally  built  and 
managed  website  for  almost  four  years.  Our 
principal  purpose,  like  that  of  all  NOW  activi- 
ties and  programs,  is  to  educate  collectors 
and  the  public  about  money  and  numismatics. 
I think  that  our  website  is  serving  this  pur- 
pose admirably. 

I have  been  gratified  that  the  website  has 
given  us  the  chance  to  help  collectors  iden- 
tify their  coins  and  identify  reputable  dealers 
to  evaluate  and  purchase  their  coins.  I have 
handled  several  such  cases  in  the  past  couple 
of  years. 

Over  the  years,  we  have  beefed  up  the  site 
with  links  to  several  numismatic  websites, 
including  the  ANA,  the  U.S.  Mint  and  the  BEP, 
the  Secret  Service,  the  ANS,  Central  States 
and  other  organizations. 

News  articles  featuring  coins  and  currency 
can  be  found  under  the  “What’s  New”  pull- 
down tab.  There  are  also  tabs  covering  ANA 
news,  club  news,  new  books,  club  meetings, 
coin  shows,  membership  applications,  and 
links  to  send  e-mails  to  the  NOW  officers. 

Since  we  began,  we  have  attracted  a lot  of 
traffic  to  our  website.  On  occasion,  someone 
who  is  particularly  excited  (or  upset)  will  send 
me  an  e-mail  to  express  their  opinion.  Here 
is  text  from  an  e-mail  praising  NOW’s  website 
that  I received  from  collector  Jacob  Crane. 


“Thank  you  for  sharing  these  links  to  coin  col- 
lectors. I am  really  pleased  about  the  number  of 
links  in  addition  to  the  great  content  available  on 
http://www.numismatistsofwisconsin.com/sec- 
tion08.html.  Such  a big  help  for  numismatists 
like  me.  I’d  usually  spend  hours  online  looking  for 
a good  resource  until  I discovered  your  website. 

It  was  a breeze  going  through  your  page  - you 
really  did  a good  job  here.  Now  your  site  is  Just  a 
click  away  from  my  bookmark.  I am  hoping  that 
you  continue  to  maintain  your  page...” 

The  website  can  always  make  use  of  photos 
of  NOW  activities  or  information  that  can  be 
linked  to  our  site.  Please  send  any  material 
intended  for  the  NOW  website  to  the  website 
coordinator  Leon  Saryan  at  tramaked@aol. 
com. 

Thanks  are  due  to  Justin  Staley  who  has 
helped  build  and  maintain  the  website  on  an 
ongoing  basis. 

Be  sure  to  visit  www.numismatistsofwis- 
consin.com  often  and  bookmark  the  site  for 
future  reference. 


bur  vote  is  needed! 

Each  year  articles  written  and  published 
in  NOW  News  are  voted  on  by  NOW 
^^members  and  winners  receive  cash 

awards  donated  by  the  South  Shore  Coin 
Club,Wisconsin  Coin  Expos  LLC  and  the 
Milwaukee  Numismatic  Society. 

A “Vote  for  the  Best”  form  is  included 
with  this  newsletter.  Please  review  each 
of  the  articles  and  vote  for  3 of  your 
favorites. 

The  purpose  of  our  Writer’s  Awards  is  to 
encourage  numismatic  journalistic  talents  among 
our  members.  If  you  have  written  a numismatic 
article,  send  it  to  the  editor  and  maybe  you’ll  be 
one  of  next  year’s  winners. 


3 


ANA  Convention  Report 

More  than  9000  collectors  attended  the 
ANA  World’s  Fair  of  Money  held  last  August 
at  the  Donald  Stephens  Convention  Center 
in  the  Chicago  suburb  of  Rosemont.  During 
the  1 20th  Anniversary  Convention,  the 
Association  enrolled  543  new  members. 

David  Bower’s  “History  Diary”  article  in 
the  “Numismatist”  provided  a nice  study 
in  contrast  to  the  ANA  Convention  held  in 
Chicago  a century  earlier  in  1 91 1 . A room  at 
the  headquarters  hotel,  with  a sink  and  hot 
and  cold  running  water  cost  $2  a day,  with 
a bathroom  down  the  hall.  No  rooms  were 
available  with  private  baths  and  for  another 
$2  you  could  have  three  nice  meals.  For 
2011,  you  can  move  the  decimal  point  over 
two  notches,  more  or  less. 

A hundred  years  ago,  only  50  registrants 
were  on  hand  when  the  event  began.  Most 
either  lived  locally  or  came  to  the  city  by 
train.  Likely,  only  a few  had  automobiles. 

William  Taft  was  in  the  White  House.  The 
national  economy  was  recovering  nicely 
from  the  Panic  of  1 907.  ANA  President,  J.M. 
Henderson  lamented  that  in  recent  times  the 
Association  had  suffered  a loss  of  members, 
dropping  from  654  to  552.  The  good  news 
was  that  ANA  was  solvent,  with  $1  75.76  in 
the  bank. 

The  hot  topic  of  the  day  was  whether 
dealers  should  be  allowed  to  serve  on 
the  ANA  Board.  Although  dealers  were 
allowed  to  serve,  the  matter  did  not  rest. 
Generations  later,  a Board  member  stated 
that  dealers  were  a “necessary  evil,”  not 


specifically  on  the  Board,  but  buying  and 
selling  at  shows.  A spokesman  for  the 
Professional  Numismatists  Guild  rejoined  that 
if  dealers  were  absent,  the  convention  would 
be  empty  of  visitors. 

The  coin  collecting  hobby  has  come  a long 
way  since  1911.  Not  only  do  our  “fussy” 
members  now  demand  private  baths,  but 
they  also  want  TV  and  other  media,  such 
as  an  internet  connection.  There  were  no 
in-room  telephones  in  1911,  but  now  most 
people  prefer  using  their  cell  phones. 

This  year’s  attendance  was  over  200  times 
the  1911  attendance  and  a few  probably 
arrived  by  jumbo  jet  nonstop  from  Tokyo, 
London  or  some  other  location. 

ANA  Bylaw  Changes 

Effective  August  1 9th  ANA  bylaws  were 
revised  with  one  change  limiting  ANA 
Life  Membership  to  those  who  have  been 
members  for  at  least  3 consecutive  years. 
This  does  not  affect  those  who  were  life 
members  prior  to  the  revision. 

After  feedback  and  deliberation,  the  Board 
set  the  minimum  voting  age  at  1 3. 


Central  States  Numismatic  Society 

73rd  Anniversary  Convention 
April  18-21,  2012 

Collectors  are  already  looking  forward 
to  this  convention  which  will  be  held  at 
the  Schaumburg  Renaissance  Hotel  and 
Convention  Center  in  Schaumburg,  Illinois. 

In  addition  to  a bourse  with  250+  booths 
manned  by  leading  dealers  from  roughly 
30  states,  the  convention  will  feature  an 
exceptionally  high-quality  educational  exhibit 
area  as  well  as  two  Heritage  Signature  Sales, 
one  focused  on  rare  coins  and  the  other  on 
collectible  paper  money. 


4 


A highlight  of  the  event  will  be  an  8-session 
Civil  War  Educational  Forum  featuring 
programs  presented  by  numismatic 
researchers,  Civil  War  enactors  and  Civil 
War  academic  researchers.  The  Civil  War 
is  perhaps  the  most  studied  and  published 
aspect  of  American  History. 

Civil  War  topics  will  include  “Civil  War  Era 
Banking  and  Currency,  Civil  War  Tokens, 
Divided  Families  During  the  CivikWar, 

1 7th  Corps  Field  Hospital,  Battlefield 
Trauma  Care  During  the  Civil  War,  and 
President  Lincoln’s  (portrayed  by  Dennis 
Boggs)  “My  Evolving  Views  on  Slavery  and 
Emancipation.” 

George  Fuld,  a widely  recognized  authority 
on  Civil  War  tokens,  will  be  on  hand  Friday, 
April  20th  to  talk  about  Civil  War  Tokens. 

In  collaboration  with  Melvin  Fuld,  he  is  the 
author  of  “A  Guide  to  Civil  War  Store  Card 
Tokens,  Patriotic  Civil  War  Tokens  and  U.S. 
Civil  War  Store  Cards,  as  well  as  numerous 
published  articles  on  the  field  of  study 
represented  by  his  books. 


Coin 

Club 

News 


South  Shore  Coin  Club 

President  Darrell  Luedtke  reminded  us 
that  the  month  of  November  is  truly 
one  for  American  holidays,  celebrations 
and  family  get-togethers.  Veterans  Day 
honoring  military  veterans  was  observed 
on  November  1 1 th,  the  anniversary  of  the 
signing  of  the  Armistice  that  ended  World 
War  I.  (Major  hostilities  of  World  War  I 
were  formally  ended  at  the  1 1 th  hour  of 
the  1 1 th  day  of  the  1 1 th  month  of  1918 
with  the  German  signing  of  the  Armistice. 

Milwaukee  Numismatic  Society 


While  the  forum  won’t  pretend  to  make 
you  an  instant  expert  on  the  subject,  it  will 
give  you  a greater  understanding  of  this 
era  in  our  history  than  you  had  prior  to 
participating. 

For  reservations  at  the  Schaumburg 
Renaissance  Hotel,  call  the  facility  directly 
(847-303-4100)  and  mention  rate  code 
“CSNCSNA”  for  a special  single  or  double 
rate  of  $139. 


Tom  Casper  recently  walked  into  one  of 
his  favorite  stores  looking  for  that  elusive 
piece  of  exonumia  to  add  to  his  collection. 
The  proprietor  handed  him  a 3-ring  binder 
titled  “Property  of  Milwaukee  Numismatic 
Society.”  As  Tom  thumbed  thru  the  pages 
he  was  surprised  to  see  ANA  membership 
cards  made  out  to  MNS  for  1 935  thru 
1 938,  along  with  undated  letterhead 
showing  names  of  the  President,  Treasurer, 
Secretary  and  Librarian. 


A complete  schedule  of  events  can  be 
found  by  visiting  www.centralstates.indo. 


* * * 


The  book  included  letterheads  from  other 
clubs,  brochures,  newspaper  articles 
relating  to  numismatics,  some  of  which 
mentioned  the  MNS  and  its  members. 

Items  dated  from  1 935  (one  year  after 
MNS  was  formed)  to  1 950.  One  newspaper 
article  said  that  the  MNS  was  born  in  the 
back  room  of  Polzer’s  Jewelry  Store  at 
1 1 32  W.  Walnut  St. 


5 


There  was  no  MNS  member’s  name  in  the 
book,  so  Tom  assumed  it  was  assembled  by 
officers  during  those  years.  He  did  recognize 
one  person  in  a photo  - Gale  Highsmith,  past 
president  and  long-time  member  of  MNS 
and  Numismatists  of  Wisconsin.  Tom  didn’t 
realize  that  MNS  had  any  records  going  back 
that  far  and  he  was  permitted  to  photocopy 
the  book,  which  was  placed  in  the  club’s 
library  at  the  October  meeting. 

Racine  Numismatic  Society 

The  club’s  Holiday  Dinner  will  be  held 
December  8^^  with  an  optional  gift  exchange. 
Their  October  newsletter  announced  that 
they  will  be  hosting  the  NOW  show  in  201 4. 

Madison  Coin  Club 

At  their  November  meeting,  members  began 
planning  and  designing  the  wooden  nickel  to 
be  given  out  at  their  80th  anniversary  show 
to  be  held  on  March  25,  201  2. 

Madison  Coin  Club  - “What  a Day!” 

[by  RuthAnn  Phillips  LM  #98] 


We  arrived  at  the  show  around  11:00  a.m.  and  after  we 
agreed  to  meet  at  5:00  p.m.,  everyone  took  off  in  different 
directions.  I loved  the  exhibits,  which  were  really  outstand- 
ing. I saw  friends  I haven't  seen  in  years  and  was  enjoying 
myself  visiting  with  them,  walking  and  talking  which  was 
quite  a chore  when  your  feet  were  hurting. 

Although  we  had  agreed  to  meet  at  5:00  p.m.,  we  were  all 
happy  to  see  each  other  at  4:00  p.m....  pleased,  but  tired. 
We  called  our  driver  and  left  the  show  at  4:32  p.m. 

Heading  back,  we  had  planned  to  stop  at  the  Belvedere 
Oasis,  but  before  arriving  at  the  Oasis,  we  heard  a “thump" 
and  thought  we  had  run  over  something.  We  checked  the 
damage  when  we  arrived  at  the  Oasis  and  discovered  that 
we  lost  rubber  on  one  of  the  back  tires  and  that  the  impact 
also  broke  one  of  the  tail  lights.  While  the  driver  was  calling 
his  boss  to  figure  out  what  to  do,  we  grabbed  a bite  to  eat, 
which  was  a good  thing. 

The  remedy  for  our  current  woe  was  to  travel  the  back  roads 
to  our  home  base  in  Milton.  We  stopped  for  beer,  and  on 
the  way  back  almost  hit  a deer.  When  we  finally  arrived  at 
Milton,  we  decided  to  take  the  bus  home...  but  guess  what? 
The  battery  was  dead.  We  boarded  the  limo  just  to  find  out 
the  air  conditioner  wasn’t  working  so  we  exited  the  limo  and 
waited  for  another  limo  to  come.  The  limo  that  came  was 
from  a wedding  and  it  was  a mess. 


We  finally  arrived  in  Madison  about  8:15  p.m.  Everyone  was 
tired,  but  ready  to  go  again! 


Madison  Coin  Club  Members  to  ANA 


On  August  20th,  at  8:00  a.m.,  eleven  members  of  the 
Madison  Coin  Club  boarded  a stretchy  limo  and  headed 
to  Chicago  for  the  ANA  convention.  It  was  raining  heavily, 
coming  down  non-stop.  We  entered  the  limo  wet  and  cold, 
just  to  find  out  that  the  air  conditioner  was  blowing  cold  air 
at  full  capacity.  (Cold  and  wet  doesn’t  work  well  together). 
The  rain  kept  coming  down  and  was  joined  by  an  awesome 
lightening  show  all  the  way  to  Chicago. 


6 


“One  Coin  is  Never  Enough” 


BookNook 

for 

Christmas 


“Coin  Collecting  for  the  Next  Generation”  would 
make  a great  Christmas  gift  attracting  young 
people  to  the  hobby.  Kevin  Flynn’s  new  book 
provides  techniques  used  by  organizations  with 
proven  track  records  of  growing  young 
membership. 


The  publication’s  primary  objective  is  to  get 
young  people  to  become  active  collectors.  It 
presents  ideas  for  Scout  clinics,  club  activities, 
coin  shows  and  more.  It  also  offers  helpful  hints, 
like  how  to  make  coin  shows  fun  and  exciting. 

This  6x9”,  1 28-page  book  sells  for  $1 2.95.  For 
more  information,  visit  www.stantonbooks.com 
or  phone  800-828-8306. 


“A  Kid’s  Guide  to  Collecting 
Coins”  is  available  from  Krause 
Publications.  “Coin  collecting 
is  a great  hobby  for  people  of 
all  ages  and  with  this  book 
we’re  hoping  to  get  kids  in- 
volved at  a young  age”  said 
KP  publisher,  Scott  Tappa. 


The  book  is  fun,  educational  and  can  provide 
hours  of  fun  for  families. 


Authored  by  Arlyn  G.  Sieber,  readers  can  search 
for  coins  to  complete  a special  coin  puzzle,  start 
a hobby  for  as  little  as  1 <t,  learn  from  how-to’s 
and  other  handy  tips. 

Join  the  ranks  of  1 40  million  Americans  who  are 
part  of  the  “hobby  of  kings”  --  coin  collecting. 


7 


Krause  Publications  has  released  another  new 
book  that  takes  a fun  look  into  the  minds  of 
collectors.  “One  Coin  is  Never  Enough:  Why 
and  Flow  We  Collect”. 

Author  Dr.  Michael  S.  Shuffy,  Jr.  explores  the 
act  of  coin  collecting  from  every  angle  and 
provides  guidance  on  how  to  get  started  and 
enjoy  this  great  hobby.  Fie  contends  that 
coin  collecting  is  nothing  less  than  a creative 
endeavor  that  allows  collectors  to  express 
themselves  in  unique  ways  by  forming  mean- 
ingful collectors. 

In  particular,  strategies  for  enhancing  the  ex- 
citement of  the  hunt  and  the  sweet  taste  of 
acquisition  are  examined  while  challenging  the 
reader  to  appreciate  and  embrace,  the  deeper 
motivations  that  urge  us  to  seek  out  that 

special  coin.  For  more  information  visit  www. 

selicoinbooks.com/new-categoiy/one- 

coin-is-never-enough.  For  review  copies 
contact  Meghan  McKeon  at  21  2-447-1 400 

ext.  1 2257  or  Meghan.mckeon@fwmedia. 

com.  * * * 


Krause  Publications  Introduces 
New  Retail  Magazine  Distribution 

Krause  Publications,  a leading  publisher  of 
magazines  and  books  serving  coin  and  paper 
money  collectors,  has  developed  and  now 
implemented  an  alternate  solution  for  retailers 
no  longer  being  serviced  by  McKnight  Sales 
Company  to  carry  its  magazines. 

KP  will  offer  retailers  the  option  to  purchase 
either  3-month  or  6-month  bulk  subscriptions 
to  its  five  numismatic  publications: 

BankNote  Reporter,  Coins,  Coin  Prices,  Numis- 
matic News  and  World  Coin  News. 

Additional  F+WKP  publications  will  be  added 
to  the  program  in  the  coming  weeks.  The 
program  will  feature  a 60%  discount  off  cover 
price.  There  will  be  a minimum  of  3 copies 
per  title  with  no  returns.  The  magazines  will 
ship  directly  from  the  printer  via  LISPS  and 
shipping  is  free. 


Initial  orders  may  be  placed  at  www.fwme- 

dia.com/retail  with  customers  selecting  the 
title/term  they  are  interested  in  ordering. 

An  on-sale  schedule  for  the  remainder  of  the 
year  is  available  at  KP.  For  additional  infor- 
mation, contact  KP’s  customer  service  group 

at  customerservice@krause.com. 

* * •*• 


‘Gold  at  Pigeon  Roost;  The  Story  of  America’s 
First  Gold  Mining  Scrip” 

by  Fred  N.  Hoiabird  and  Al  Adams  Jr. 

Mining  geologist  Fred  Hoiabird  and 
Dahlonega,  Georgia,  coin  dealer  Al  Adams  Jr. 
recount  the  stories  of  the  Georgia  Gold  Rush, 
the  Pigeon  Roost  Mining  Company  and  similar 
ventures  from  1 830s  through  the  Civil  War. 
This  book  describes  the  miners’  ingenuity 
as  they  developed  mining  techniques  and 
banking  and  assaying  systems.  Georgians 
paved  the  way  for  an  industry  that  flourished 
during  the  California  Gold  Rush. 

Georgia’s  Pigeon  Roost  Mining  Company  was 
the  first  major  mine  operating  in  the  1 830s. 
It  issued  scrip  in  lieu  of  U.S.  coins  which 
rarely  circulated  on  the  Appalachian  frontier. 
The  book  documents  these  notes  in  detail, 
as  well  as  stock  certificates  and  other  means 
of  trade. 

The  96-page,  5-1/2  x 8-1/2  inch  publication 
retails  for  $9.95  and  can  be  purchased  from 
Wizard  Coin  Supply  www.wizardcoinsupply. 
com. 


Good  judgement  comes 
from  experience. 

Sometimes,  experience 
comes  from  bad  judgement! 


New  Standard  Guide  to 
Small-Size  U.S.  Paper  Money  Available 

Krause  Publications  has  released  the  1 0th 
edition  of  the  Standard  Guide  to  Small-Size 
U.S.  Paper  Money. 

Authored  by  leading  paper  money  experts 
John  Schwartz  and  Scott  Lindquist,  the 
Standard  Guide  is  the  ultimate  price  guide  for 
dealers  and  collectors  of  small-size  U.S.  paper 
money. 

Features  include: 

• 300+  color  photographs 

• Complete  serial  number  data 

• Precise  quantities  of  notes  printed  observed 

• Design  and  production  details 

• Current  market  values  in  up  to  4 grades  of 
condition 

For  more  information,  visit  www.sellcoinbooks.com/ 
us-paper-money/standard-guide-to-small-size-u-s- 
paper-money-1  Oth-edition. 


Children’s  Stories 

ages  3 to  7 

Include  e\UVE  download. 

Pedro  Elaine 

cfnilcAltor-artH  orp»lo.*UtoFBn>i 


Ruby's  Memoir. 

Paperback 
$14.99  + S&H 


A set  of  5 books  from  Ruby 
Includes  a cloth  bag 
$8.99  each  (plus  $2.7S  S&H  fo ' 
up  to  5 books) 


Ruby  Cavanaugh  Kocrpcr 
(Ruby  accepts  PayPal.) 

rkoerper@columbus.rr  .com 

Website;  http;//rubvcavanaughkoerper,i 


8 


Presidential  $1  Coin 


Chickasaw  National  Recreation 
Quarter 

[U.S.  Mint] 


The  fifth  and  final  America  the  Beautiful 
quarter  of  201 1 was  launched  in  a special 
ceremony  on  November  1 6th  in  Sulphur, 
Oklahoma. 


The  Chickasaw  National  Recreation  Area  is 
unique  in  that  it  was  founded  through  the 
support  of  the  Chickasaw  Nation  and  ex- 
ists as  a part  of  the  national  park  system 
to  provide  for  the  protection  of  the  area’s 
unique  resources,  springs,  streams,  lakes 
and  other  natural  features;  to  protect  and 
interpret  its  cultural  history,  historic  land- 
scapes and  structures,  to  commemorate 
the  Chickasaw  Nation.  The  area  provides 
for  public  education,  appreciation  and 
recreational  use  and  enjoyment  of  those 
resources.  It  was  originally  established  as  a 
national  site  on  July  1 , 1 902. 


The  reverse  image  depicts 
the  Lincoln  Bridge  built  of 
limestone  and  dedicated 
in  1 909  to  celebrate  the 
centennial  of  Abraham 
Lincoln’s  birth.  The  bridge 
is  the  first  constructed 
improvement  in  the  na- 
tional recreation  area  and 
a favorite  scenic  spot.  In- 
scriptions are  CHICKASAW, 
OKLAHOMA,  201 1 


James  Garfield 
20th  President 
1881 

[U.S.  Mint] 

James  Garfield 
was  born  in 
Cuyahoga  County, 

Ohio,  in  1831. 

He  graduated 
from  Williams  College  in  Massachusetts 
and  returned  to  the  Western  Reserve 
Eclectic  Institute  (later  Hiram  College)  in 
Ohio  as  a classics  professor  and  then  its 
president.  He  was  elected  to  the  Ohio 
state  senate  in  1 859.  In  1 862,  he  was 
elected  to  Congress  and  served  1 8 years. 

At  the  1 880  Republican  convention, 
Garfield  won  the  nomination  for  President 
on  the  36^^  ballot. 

On  July  2,  1 881 , Just  4 months  into  his 
term,  an  embittered  attorney  who  had 
unsuccessfully  sought  a counsular  post 
shot  the  President  in  a Washington  railroad 
station.  He  lay  wounded  in  the  White 
House  for  weeks.  Alexander  Graham  Bell, 
inventor  of  the  telephone,  tried  in  vain  to 
find  the  bullet  with  an  electrical  device  he 
had  designed.  On  September  6,  Garfield 
was  taken  to  the  New  Jersey  seaside.  For 
a few  days  he  seemed  to  be  recuperating, 
but  on  September  1 9,  1 881 , he  died  from 
infection  and  internal  hemorrhage. 

No  coinage  legislation  was  enacted  during 
President  Garfield’s  term  and  no  U.S.  Mint 
Directors  were  appointed  by  President 
Garfield. 


★ ★ ★ 


★ ★ ★ 


9 


Reverse  Design: 


Lucretia 
Garfield 
First  Spouse 
Gold  Coin  1881 

U.S.  Mint 

Lucretia  Rudolph 
Garfield  was  born 
on  April  1 9,  1 832, 
in  Garrettsville, 
Ohio  where  she  acquired  a love  of  learn- 
ing from  her  father.  She  first  met  future 
president  “Jim”  Garfield  when  they  both 
attended  a nearby  school,  and  they  renewed 
their  friendship  in  1851  as  students  at  the 
Western  Reserve  Eclectic  Institute. 

The  couple  began  a courtship  in  December 
1 853,  not  marrying  until  November  1 858. 
Their  first  child,  a girl,  died  in  1 863.  A 2- 
year  old  son  died  in  1 876,  but  5 children 
grew  up  healthy  and  promising.  “Crete” 
became  more  and  more  her  husband’s 
companion. 

The  Garfield  family  arrived  at  the  White 
House  in  March  1881.  Just  two  months 
later,  the  new  first  lady  became  seriously 
ill  with  malaria  and  went  to  a New  Jersey 
costal  resort  to  recover. 

Lucretia  was  still  convalescing  at  a seaside 
report  in  New  Jersey  when  an  assassin  shot 
her  husband  on  July  2,  1881.  She  returned 
to  Washington  by  special  train  “frail, 
fatigued,  desperate,  but  firm  and  quiet  and 
full  of  purpose  to  save. 

During  the  3 months  her  husband  fought  for 
his  life,  her  grief,  decoration  and  fortitude 
won  the  respect  and  sympathy  of  the 
country. 

After  the  President’s  death,  the  bereaved 
family  went  home  to  their  farm  in  Ohio  and 
for  the  next  36  years  she  led  a strictly 
private,  but  busy  and  comfortable  life, 
active  in  preserving  the  records  of  her 
husband’s  career.  She  died  on  March  1 4, 
1918. 


In  1 869,  Lucretia  and  James  built  a large 

home  in  Washington  while  he  was  a member 

of  the  U.S.  House  of  Representatives. 

“Crete”  set  aside  one  room  in  the  house  for 

herself,  where  she 

was  able  to  paint 

and  draw 

in  private.  The 

reverse  design 

represents 

Lucretia’s  interest 

art  and  features  he 

painting  on  canvas 

with  brush  and 

palette  in  hand. 

★ ★ ★ 

Important  Changes  to 
U.S.  Savings  Bonds 

[Simply  Good  Banking] 

Savings  bonds  are  very  much  a part  of  this 
country’s  history  and  culture  and  will  remain 
a part  of  America’s  future,  but  in  electronic 
form.  However,  savings  bonds  are  not  going 
away.  After  December  31 , 2011  paper  sav- 
ings bonds  will  no  longer  be  sold  at  financial 
institutions.  If  you  are  planning  to  buy  a sav- 
ings bond  after  December  31st,  you  can  buy 
it  online  through  TreasuryDirect,  a secure, 
web-based  system  that  has  been  used  by  in- 
vestors since  2002.  Opening  a TreasuryDirect 
account  is  free. 

Ending  over-the-counter  sales  of  paper 
savings  bonds  at  financial  institutions  is  a 
continuation  of  Treasury’s  all-electronic  initia- 
tive announced  in  April,  2010.  It’s  estimated 
that  ending  the  sales  of  paper  payroll  and 
new  issue  OTC  fonds  will  save  a total  of  $1  20 
million  over  the  next  5 years  in  areas  such  as 
printing,  mailing,  storing  bond  stock  and  fees 
paid  to  financial  institutions  for  processing 
bond  applications. 

Existing  paper  bonds  are  still  valid  and  will 
earn  interest  for  30  years  from  the  issue  date 
or  until  redeemed.  For  more  information,  visit 
www.treasurydirect.gov. 


10 


Bank  of  America 
Does  About-Face  on  Debit  Fees 

[Wl  State  Journal] 


“Coins  Act”  Introduced  To  Save 
Taxpayers  Billions 

[R.S.C.  Jordan  House.gov] 


Last  month  Bank  of  America  Corp.  an- 
nounced they  were  scrapping  its  plan  to 
charge  a $5  monthly  fee  for  making  debit 
card  purchases  after  an  uproar  and  threat- 
ened exodus  by  customers. 

The  about-face  comes  as  customers  peti- 
tioned the  bank,  and  mobilized  to  close  their 
accounts  and  take  their  business  elsewhere. 
The  outcry  had  already  prompted  other  ma- 
jor banks  to  cancel  tests  of  similar  debit  card 
fees.  Bank  of  America’s  co-chief  operating 
officer,  David  Darnell,  said  “Our  customers’ 
voices  are  most  important  to  us.  As  a result 
we  are  not  currently  charging  the  fee  and  will 
not  be  moving  forward  with  any  additional 
plans  to  do  so.” 

The  wave  of  fee  hikes  comes  as  the  industry 
adjusts  to  new  regulations.  In  particular, 
banks  in  the  past  year  have  blamed  their  fee 
hikes  on  a new  federal  regulation  champi- 
oned by  Sen.  Dick  Durbin  of  Illinois.  The  law, 
which  went  into  effect  last  October,  caps  the 
amount  banks  can  charge  merchants  when- 
ever customers  swipe  their  debit  cards. 

Editor’s  note:  This  seems  like  a victory  for 
consumers,  but  is  it  really?  Our  bank  Just 
sent  an  updated  list  of  various  fees  they  will 
be  charging  customers  effective  January  1 st. 

* * * 


103  E.  Kimberly  Avenue  - Kimberly,  Wl  54136-1402 
Coin:  920-731-5451  -Fax:  920-788-3792 - Jeviraify:  920-731-6201 

Fritz  Voecks 


Mvww.FoxVColn.com 


Frttz@FoxVCoin.com 


1 1 


Representative  David  Schweilkert  intro- 
duced a bill  last  September  to  reduce  the 
deficit  by  billions  of  dollars  by  phasing  out 
the  $1  bill.  The  Currency  Optimization,  In- 
novation and  National  Savings  (COINS)  Act 
calls  for  a transition  from  the  dollar  bill  to 
the  dollar  coin  to  reduce  government  waste. 

The  legislation  would  require  Federal  Re- 
serve Banks  to  stop  issuing  the  $1  note 
4 years  after  enactment  of  the  legislation 
or  when  circulation  of  $1  coins  exceeds 
600  million  annually  — whichever  comes 
first.  The  Government  Accountability  Office 
(GAO)  has  been  advocating  this  change  for 
more  than  20  years,  and  in  its  latest  report 
released  in  March,  it  found  that  hundreds  of 
millions  of  taxpayer  dollars  are  wasted  each 
year  by  the  continued  use  of  the  dollar  bill. 

By  making  the  switch,  it  is  estimated  that 
the  government  would  save  an  average  of 
$184  million  a year,  a conservative  $5.5 
billion  over  30  years. 

Rep.  Schweikert  made  the  following  state- 
ment: “At  a time  when  we  are  staring  down 
a record-breaking  $1.3  trillion  deficit,  any 
commonsense  measure  that  cuts  billions 
needs  to  be  given  serious  consideration. 
That’s  exactly  what  the  COINS  Act  will  do 
and  why  I am  introducing  it.  Protecting  tax- 
payer dollars  has  never  been  more  critical. 
One  area  where  we  can  save  money  is  our 
currency.  This  is  a responsible  way  to  trim 
our  bloated  deficit  and  I encourage  all  of  my 
colleagues  to  support  this  cost-saving  leg- 
islation. Washington  needs  to  learn  to  save 
money  to  save  our  future  for  our  children 
and  grandchildren.” 

* ★ 


Royal  Canadian  Mint 
Celebrates  NHL’s  Return 

[Royal  Canadian  Mint] 

After  a 1 5 year 
absence,  the  NHL 
is  returning  to  the 
City  of  Winnipeg  and 
the  Royal  Canadian 
Mint  will  celebrate 
this  occasion  by 
producing  two  special 
commemorative 
coins:  a 201 1 -201  2 Winnipeg  Jets  50-cent 
commemorative  coin  and  a 201 1-2012 
Winnipeg  Jets  $20  commemorative  pure 
silver  coin.  The  50-cent  coin  was  unveiled  at 
the  MTS  Centre  in  Winnipeg  by  Prime  Minister 
Stephen  Harper,  Royal  Canadian  Mint  Chair  of 
the  Board  James  B.  Love  and  Winnipeg  Jets 
owner  Mark  Chipman. 

The  Mint  is  devoted  to  producing  coins 
which  celebrate  Canadian’s  history,  culture 
and  values.  Many  of  Canada’s  most  notable 
sporting  moments  have  featured  hockey  and 
we  are  proud  to  commemorate  yet  another, 
this  time  in  Winnipeg,  the  home  of  our  state- 
of-the  art  production  facility  where  the 
Winnipeg  Jets  50-cent  coin  was  produced. 

Hockey  fans  can  order  both  coins  by  visiting 
the  mint’s  website  at  www.mint.ca.  The  50- 
cent  coin  with  nickel-plated  steel,  retails  for 
$1 4.95.  The  99.99%  pure  silver  $20  has 
a limited  mintage  of  1 5,000  and  retails  for 
$94.95. 

The  Royal  Canadian  Mint  is  the  Crown 
Corporation  responsible  for  the  minting  and 
distribution  of  Canada’s  circulation  coins. 

An  ISO  9001-2008  certified  company,  the 
Mint  is  recognized  as  one  of  the  largest  and 
most  versatile  mints  in  the  world,  offering 
a wide  range  of  specialized  high  quality 
coinage  products  and  related  services  on  an 
international  scale. 


Austrian  Coins 
Prizes  in  KP  Sweepstakes 

A pair  of  innovative,  attractive  coins  from 
the  Austrian  Mint  are  prizes  in  the  latest  coin 
sweepstakes  from  Krause  Publications. 


The  201 0 Silver- 
Niobium  Renewable 
Energy  Coin 
features  a brilliant 
blue  niobium 
center.  The  25- 
Eiuro  coin  has 
a mintage  of 
65,000,  has  a 
ring  of  9g  silver 
and  core  of  6.5g 
pure  niobium  and 
a diameter  of  34  mm.  The  coin’s  obverse 
image  depicts  the  cycle  of  nature  in  a tree. 


The  2010  1 0-Euro 
Silver  Charlemagne 
Coin  is  the  4^^  in  the 
“Tales  and  Legends 
in  Austria”  series, 
depicting  one  of 
the  most  well-known 
stories  involving 
Charlemagne.  It  has  a 
mintage  of  1 30,000,  is 
composed  in  92.5%  sterling 
silver,  weighs  1 6 grams  and  is  32mm  in 
diameter.  Visit  www.numismaticsnews.net/ 
sweepstakes  to  enter. 


'he  beutiful  poinsett  j 
is  a traditional 
Christmas  flower  in 
Mexico,  its  original 
birthplace. 

It  is  known  as  the  “Flower  of 
the  Holy  Night” . 


12 


Finest  Known  1870-CC 
$20  Gold  Lib  Stolen 

[Heritage  Auction] 

A Brinks  shipment  from  Professional  Coin 
Grading  Service  to  Heritage  Auctions  on  Oc- 
tober 1 7th  was  apparently  broken  into,  and 
the  finest  known  1 870-CC  $20  stolen.  The 
coin  is  graded  AU58  by  Numismatic  Guaranty 
Corporation  and  carries  NGC  Certification  ID 
3414402-001. 


“When  we  opened  the  Brinks  bag,  it  was 
evident  that  the  shipping  box  had  been  sliced 
open,  and  the  PCGS  box  within  was  empty” 
said  Paul  Minshull,  CEO  of  Heritage.  “We 
immediately  called  PCGS,  who  confirmed 
that  their  security  surveillance  video  showed 
that  the  box  and  package  with  the  coin  were 
shipped  as  usual  and  in  good  order.  At  that 
point  we  contacted  Brinks  security  and  our 
insurance  company,  and  their  investigations 
began.  We  also  reached  out  to  the  FBI.  In 
my  28  years  at  Heritage  I have  never  heard  of 
a coin  loss  in  a Brinks  shipment  before,  so  this 
is  an  extremely  rare  incident.”  said  Minshull. 

The  1 870-CC  $20  rarity  was  only  recently 
discovered  and  sent  to  Heritage  for  auction. 
According  to  Heritage  President  Greg  Rohan, 


it  was  slated  to  go  into  the  FUN  Platinum 
Night  auction  in  Orlando  in  January. 

“While  the  coin  is  fully  covered  under  our 
insurance,  this  is  about  more  than  money. 

It’s  really  about  what  we  hope  will  be  just  a 
temporary  loss  of  a numismatic  treasure.” 
Rohan  said.  “This  rarity  was  not  only  newly 
discovered  and  the  finest  known,  but  it  was  a 
gorgeous  coin  and  the  best  ever  seen  in  the 
marketplace.” 

The  Carson  City  Mint  had  been  under  con- 
struction since  1 866,  but  many  delays  were 
experienced  due  to  inclement  weather,  lack 
of  building  materials,  and  a chronic  shortge 
of  funds  to  pay  the  workers.  They  began 
coining  operations  on  Feruary  11,1  870,  with 
a small  emisssion  of  silver  dollars.  Coinage  of 
double  eagles  commenced  on  March  1 0th, 
with  a delivery  of  1 ,332  pieces.  Technical 
problems  continued  to  beset  the  Mint,  and 
the  first  year’s  total  production  of  double 
eagles  was  only  3,789  pieces.  That  entire 
mintage  was  released  into  circulation  so 
every  1 870-CC  double  eagle  known  today 
shows  some  signs  of  wear  (the  issue  being 
completely  unknown  in  Mint  state).  Experts 
estimate  a surviving  population  of  35-50 
examples  in  all  grades. 

“At  this  level  of  rarity,  the  coin  will  turn  up 
in  the  marketplace  sooner  or  later,  and  it  will 
be  identified  because  it’s  so  notable.”  said 
Minshull.  “We’re  working  with  the  authorities 
to  coordinate  all  avenues  of  inquiry  to  prompt 
an  early  and  safe  recovery  of  the  coin  and  ap- 
prehend all  wrongdoers.” 

Heritage  Auctions,  headed  by  Steve  Ivy,  Jim 
Halperin  and  Greg  Rohan,  is  the  world’s  third 
largest  auction  house,  with  annual  sales  more 
than  $750  million,  and  600,000+  online  bid- 
der members.  For  more  information  about 
Heritage  Auctions,  and  to  gain  access  to  a 
complete  record  of  prices  realized  along  with 
a full-color,  enlargeable  photos  of  each  lot, 
visit  HA.com. 

* 


13 


Dealers,,. 

and 

Collectors 

Help! 


The  LaCrosse 
County 
Sheriff’s 
Office  is 
seeking 

information  regarding  any  suspicious 
offerings  for  purchase  or  sale  of  a 
grouping  of  approximately  20-30 
Golden  Eagle  coins  (1980s-1990s 
mint  dates)  during  May/June/July 
2010  time  period  in  the  LaCrosse 
area  and  surrounding  cities/areas. 

Anyone  having  information  is  asked 
to  contact  Investigator 
Fritz  Leinfelder,  LaCrosse  County 
Sheriff’s  Office  at  608-785-6194. 


You  Might  Live  in  Wisconsin... 

If  you  consider  it  a sport  to  gather  your 
food  by  drilling  through  20  inches  of 
ice  and  sitting  there  all  day  hoping  that 
the  food  will  swim  by,  you  might  live  in 
Wisconsin. 

If  you  have  more  miles  on  your  snow 
blower  than  your  car,  you  might  live  in 
Wisconsin. 

If  your  family  wears  “Packer’s  green”  to 
church,  you  probably  do  live  in  Wisconsin. 


The  Ultimate  Maverick 
A Token  of  the  Alzheimer’s 
Association 

[by  L.  A.  Saryan  LM  #1 00] 


Token  collectors  use  the  term  “maverick”  to 
describe  any  token  for  which  the  issuer  and 
location  are  not  inscribed  on  the  metal.  For 
example,  a token  that  reads  “Joe’s  Bar/Good 
for  5 Cents”  would  be  a maverick,  since  the 
viewer  will  ordinarily  have  no  idea  who  Joe 
is/was  or  where  his  establishment  is/was 
located. 

Such  a token  or  medalet  arrived  in  my  mail 
a few  days  ago.  Unlike  the  “Joe’s  Bar” 
example  mentioned  above,  this  piece  has  no 
writing  whatsoever  on  either  side  or  on  the 
edge!  The  design,  which  is  the  same  on  both 
sides,  is  probably  unrecognizable  to  almost 
everyone  reading  this  article.  The  token  is 
brass,  25.0  mm  in  diameter,  and  4.87  grams. 
Five  or  ten  years  from  now,  I can  guarantee 
that  this  piece  will  confound  an  exonumia 
collector. 

Only  by  identifying  the  design  logo  can  we 
determine  what  this  token  represents.  In  the 
interest  of  preserving  this  information  before 
it’s  forgotten.  I’ll  do  so  here. 

This  token  was  sent  to  me  from  the 
Southeastern  Wisconsin  Chapter  of 
the  Alzheimer’s  Association,  a national 
organization  dedicated  to  combating 
progressive  dementia  in  older  adults,  as  a 
token  of  appreciation  for  a contribution  that 
we  recently  made  to  the  group.  I have  a 
family  member  who  is  afflicted  by  dementia 
now,  and  I can  affirm  that  this  is  a cause  very 
worthy  of  our  charitable  support. 

Alzheimer’s  is  the  most  common  form  of 
irreversible  dementia  and  affects  about  5.4 
million  people  in  the  U.S.A.  It  is  devastating 
not  only  to  the  afflicted,  but  to  their  families 
who  must  provide  in  some  cases  many  years 
of  care  as  the  disease  progresses. 


14 


Donations  to  the  Alzheimer’s  Association  are 
used  to  fund  research  directed  toward  finding 
a cure,  to  provide  helpful  information  and 
support  for  family  caregivers,  and  to  reduce 
the  future  risk  of  dementia  by  promoting 
brain  health. 


The  symbolism  on  the  token  is  intended  to 
reflect  that  “our  treasured  memories  make  us 
who  we  are,  and  reside  in  our  hearts  as  well 
as  our  minds.”  The  logo  shows  a heart  and  a 
symbolic  representation  of  the  mind. 

For  more  information  on  the  Alzheimer’s 
Association  and  how  you  can  help,  contact 
the  Alzheimer’s  Association  at  1-800-272- 
3900  or  at  www.alz.org. 

★ ★ ★ 


^ General  Coin  & Gun  Exchange  ^ 

Brian  Zinn 

• Gold  •Silver 

• Old  Coins  • Jewelry 

• Paper  Money  • Guns 

BUY,  SELL  & TRADE 
Free  AppralHaJs 

Phone:  715-835-COlN  (2646) 

FAX:  715-835-2665 

2832  U>ndon  Road . Eau  Claire,  W 5470 ! 

r 


Coins 

Gold 

Silver  ^ i 
Tokens 
aper  Mone} 


Wisconsin  Coin 
Expos  LLC 

29th  Annual  Coin  Show 
Sunday,  February  19, 2012 

Hours:  9:00-4:00 


Oshkosh  Convention  Center 
2 North  Main  Street 
Oshkosh,  WI 


Free  Admission 
Door  Prizes 


Contact:  Randy  Miller 
920-231-6161 
FAX  920-231-6122 


15 


Greater  Milwaukee  Coin  & Jewelry 


Brookfield 

262-781-4200 
^^040  N.  Calhoun  Rd. 
Open 

Monday-Saturday 


Waukesha 

262-896-8955 
615  N.  Barstovv 
Open 

Wednesday-  S aturday 


Fond  du  Lac 

20  Forest  Avenue 
Open 

by  appointment 


We  Pay  Top  Prices! 

We  need  inventory  for  our  customers 
and  for  our  many  National  Coin  Shows 


Professional  Appraisals 
Over  50  Years  Experience 
Buying  Estates 

^NGC  ^ 

Give  Us  a Gall  or  Stop  By 

www.rriilwaukeecom.com 


Buying  and  Selling 

• Coins 

• Jewelry 

• Paper  Money 

• Proof  & Mint  Sets 

• US  & Foreign 

• Certified  Coins 

• Gold  & Silver 

• Supplies 

V J 


16 


The  Badger  Honor  Flight  Medal: 
A “True”  Error 

Dreux  J.  Watermolen  #1 755 

Introduction 

The  national  Honor  Flight  Network  provides 
World  War  II  veterans  and  terminally  ill 
veterans  from  any  war  an  opportunity  to  see 
the  Washington,  DC  memorials  erected  in 
their  honor.  Badger  Honor  Flight,  a Madison- 
based  network  hub,  aids  veterans  locally  by 
providing  free  flights  and  guided  tours.  The 
group  has  commemorated  its  early  trips 
with  a handsome  medal  struck  by  4Heros, 
a Green  Bay-based  firm  that  specializes  in 
military  themed  items.  Originally  struck  with 
an  error,  this  medal  provides  an  interesting 
souvenir  recognizing  these  flights  in  honor  of 
our  veterans’  sacrifices. 

The  Honor  Flight  Network 

The  Honor  Flight  Network  website  (www. 
honorflight.org)  provided  details  about 
the  organization’s  history.  The  program 
was  conceived  by  Earl  Morse,  a physician 
assistant  and  retired  Air  Force  captain,  who 
wanted  to  honor  veterans  he  had  cared  for. 
Following  completion  of  the  World  War  II 
Memorial  in  2004,  Mr.  Morse  found  it  unlikely 
that  many  of  these  veterans  would  actually 
be  able  to  visit  their  memorial  because  of 
financial  or  physical  limitations  (most  were  in 
their  80s  and  lacked  the  physical  and  mental 
wherewithal  to  complete  a trip  on  their  own, 
and  families  and  friends  often  lacked  the 
resources  and  time  to  accompany  them). 

In  addition  to  caring  for  veterans,  Mr.  Morse 
was  also  a private  pilot.  Late  in  2004, 

Morse  asked  one  of  his  veteran  patients  if 
it  would  be  alright  to  personally  fly  him  to 
DC,  free-of-charge,  to  visit  his  memorial. 

The  veteran,  who  broke  down  and  cried, 
graciously  accepted  the  offer  telling  Morse 
that  at  his  age  he  would  probably  otherwise 
never  get  to  see  the  memorial.  Shortly 


after,  Mr.  Morse  posed  the  same  question  to 
a second  veteran.  When  he  received  a similar 
response,  Morse  quickly  realized  that  many 
veterans  would  have  this  same  reaction.  So 
he  started  asking  other  pilots  to  help. 

In  January  2005,  Morse  addressed  members 
of  a Dayton,  Ohio  aero  club,  outlining  a 
volunteer  program  to  fly  veterans  to  their 
memorials.  He  posed  two  stipulations:  1 ) 
the  veterans  would  pay  nothing,  and  2)  the 
pilots  would  personally  escort  the  veterans 
around  DC.  After  Morse  spoke,  eleven  pilots 
volunteered  and  Honor  Flight  was  born. 

With  79  regional  hubs  in  34  states,  the  Honor 
Flight  Network  now  provides  veterans  with 
all  trip  related  expenses.  Funding  comes 
primarily  from  individuals  and  fraternal 
organizations  like  local  American  Legions, 

VFW,  and  AM  VETS  posts,  as  well  as  various 
corporations.  Volunteer  guardians,  who  pay 
their  own  trip  fees,  accompany  the  veterans 
and  take  care  of  any  special  needs.  Veterans 
interested  in  flying  to  Washington  submit  an 
application  and  are  selected  for  flights  on  a 
first-come,  first-served  basis,  with  exceptions 
being  made  for  terminally  ill  veterans  who 
receive  priority  status. 

Badger  Honor  Flight 

Wisconsin  boasts  five  regional  Honor  Flight 
hubs,  the  first  being  the  Freedom  Honor 
Flight  that  operates  out  of  LaCrosse.  The 
Madison-based  Badger  Honor  Flight,  which 
formed  in  early  2009,  serves  veterans 
primarily  in  Columbia,  Dane,  Green,  Iowa, 
Jefferson,  Lafayette,  Richland,  Sauk,  and 
parts  of  Dodge  counties.  Badger  Honor 
Flight  has  already  conducted  two  flights: 
its  inaugural  flight  on  April  1 7,  201 0,  and  a 
second  on  Saturday,  October  2,  2010. 

The  Medal 

Following  the  October  flight,  I joined  friends 
at  the  Dane  County  Regional  Airport  to 
welcome  veterans  home.  Badger  Honor  Flight 
volunteers  were  selling  a variety  of  souvenirs, 
including  a handsome  medal  minted  by 


17 


4Heros,  to  commemorate  the  event  and 
support  future  flights.  It  was  here  that  I 
obtained  three  examples  of  the  medal  minted 
with  an  error. 


appears  to  be  struck 

in  bronze.  The  obverse  features  a colorized 
Badger  Honor  Flight  logo  in  its  center,  a WWII- 
era  aircraft  with  the  outline  of  Wisconsin  in  the 
background.  The  state  is  colored  red  and  a 
white  star  marks  the  location  of  Madison.  The 
words  “BADGER  HONOR  FLIGHT/WISCONSIN” 
encircle  the  logo  in  white  lettering  on  a blue 
background.  The  reverse  features  a colorized 
depiction  of  the  WW  II  Memorial,  with  “WWII 
MEMORIAL/DEDICATED  TO  OUR  TRUE  HEROES” 
encircling  it. 

The  model  was  initially  struck  with  a spelling 
error  on  the  reverse;  the  word  TRUE  was 
misspelled  as  “TURE”.  Correspondence  with 
AHeroes  indicated  that  1 75  of  these  medals 
were  minted  and  shipped  to  Badger  Honor 
Flight  before  anyone  detected  the  error. 
Replacements  were  sent  in  late  October  201 0. 

AHeros  has  produced  medals  for  various 
military  fraternal  organizations  and  similar  flight 
events.  I am  unsure  how  many  medals  have 
been  issued  for  other  Wisconsin  Honor  Flights, 
but  at  least  one  was  produced  for  Milwaukee’s 
Stars  and  Stripes  Honor  Flight.  That  medal’s 
obverse  features  the  flight  hub’s  logo,  a blue 
plane  flying  around  a red  globe.  A couple  of 
white  stars  highlight  the  globe.  The  obverse 
reads  “STARS  AND  STRIPES/HONOR/FLIGHT/ 
WISCONSIN”.  The  reverse  depicts  the  same 


colorized  WWII  Memorial  shown  on  the  Badger 
Honor  Flight  medal,  but  it  is  encircled  by 
“WWII  MEMORIAL/EVERY  DAY  IS  A BONUS”. 

While  the  “TRUE”  error  represents  an 
unfortunate  mistake  in  the  production 
process,  both  the  error  version  and  the 
corrected  flight  medals  make  nice  additions 
to  WWII,  military,  veteran,  and  Wisconsin 
exonumia  collections.  Their  purchase,  in  a 
small  way,  helps  repay  our  veterans  for  their 
dedicated  service. 

References  and  Further  Reading 

Anonymous,  2009.  “Local  veterans  make  emotional  trip  to  World  War 
II  Memorial."  Channel  3000.com.  (April  29, 2009).  Available  online  at 
www.channel1300.co  nfVfamilv/19318309/ detail.html. 

Badger  Honor  Flight.  2010  www.badQerhonorfliaht.orQ. 

Bettis,  Angela,  2010.  “Badger  Honor  Flight  boasts  group  of  women 
veterans."  Channel  3000.com.  (April  20, 2010).  Available  online  at 
www.channel3000.com/news/232Q2799/  detail.html. 

Hasse,  Richard  E.  2009.  “Badger  'Honor  Flights'  branch  established 
in  Madison."  Wisconsin  VFW  NEWS.  MADISON;  VFW  of  Wisconsin 
(May  22, 2009). 

Verburg,  Steven.  2010.  “Remembering  people  who  served:  Second 
Badger  Honor  Flight  for  World  War  II  veterans  is  set  for  October.” 
Wisconsin  State  Journal  (August  3, 2010)  Available  online  at  http:// 
host,madison.com/wsi/news/local/article  87a3d3574-9e99-11df-ad44- 

0Q1cc4c002e0.htm.  * * * 

Wisconsin  State  Jnl.  Letter  to  Editor  11/19/11 

“Badger  Honor  Rights  are  such  a special  way  to  recog- 
nize those  among  us  who  served  during  World  War  II. 
The  most  recent  one  was  last  Saturday.  It  was  a very 
long  day  for  those  vets  and  their  escorts,  starting  and 
ending  with  a charter  flight,  to  visit  the  many  memori- 
als and  monuments  in  Washington,  DC. 

I was  among  the  hundreds  of  family  members  and 
friends  tho  greeted  them  as  they  left  the  plane  late 
on  Saturday  evening  and  were  escorted  through  the 
Madison  airport  terminal.  There  were  cheers,  smiles, 
hand  shakes,  hugs  and  tears  as  they  came  thru  the  long 
passageway  lined  by  grateful  people  of  all  ages. 

fhere  were  countless  expressions  of  respect  and  ap- 
preciation including  those  shown  by  a teenager,  very 
neatly  dressed  in  his  Boy  Scout  unifonn  complete  with 
merit  badge  sash,  who  stood  proudly  and  extended  his 
hand  to  every  veteran  and  said  “Thank  You”. 


18 


IN  SEARCH  OF  A.  F.  DYER 

[by  Jeff  Reichenberger  #1 433] 

(The  bulk  of  this  article  is  derived from  a 
previously  published  feature  in  the  February 
2011  issue  of  the  John  Reich  Journal  - the 
journal  of  the  John  Reich  Collectors  Society) 

This  is  the  on-going  story  of  a counterstamped 
Capped  Bust  Half  Dollar  that  Gene  Johnson  wrote 
about  in  the  spring  2010  issue  of  NOWKews.  As  any 
of  you  know  who  have  tried  to  track  down  the  origins 
of  a counterstamp,  the  task  can  be  filled  with  gaps  and 
unanswered  questions. 

Many  of  you  will  recall  Gene’s  fine  article  entitled 
‘Old  Friends’,  which  began;  “Fijiy  years  is  a long 
time  to  look  for  a lost  friend’  and  this  writing  will 
mark  the  end  of  the  search,  but  not  my  curiosity.”  He 
explains,  “In  early  1960  an  altruistic  numismatist 
from  Washington  State  offered  to  swap  me  a counter- 
stamped  half  dollar,  ‘A.  F.  DYER  / 1869  / W.  EAU. 
CLAIRE.  / WIS.’,  for  an  amount  of  Idaho  tokens. 
With  the  observation  that  a Wisconsin  counterstamp 

should  be  in  a Wisconsin  collection.” 


Gene’s  search  for  just  who  A.  F.  Dyer  might  be  was 
intense  for  the  first  ten  years,  explaining  that  he 
exhausted  his  considerable  personal  references  as  well 
as  those  of  the  Eau  Claire,  WI  public  library  with  help 
from  the  reference  librarian  who  took  an  interest  in  the 
search.  They  spent  countless  hours  scouring  newspaper 

19 


microfilms,  city  and  county  directories,  and  name-by- 
name searches  in  Dunn  Wisconsin  Directories  of  the 
period. 

The  article  immediately  intrigued  me,  and  having  an 
interest  in  bust  half  dollars,  I was  equally  compelled  by 
the  coin.  So  1 decided  to  pick  up  where  Gene  left  off  in 
the  search  for  A.  F.  Dyer. 

A lot  has  changed  in  the  50  years  since  Gene  began  his 
search,  and  I thought  I might  be  able  to  find  something 
on  the  internet,  so  1 started  with  the  simple  and  obvious 
quick  search,  ‘A.  F.  Dyer’  and  found  nothing.  I delved 
into  every  conceivable  combination  of  key  words 
related  to  this  subject... to  no  avail.  Next  I contacted  the 
Eau  Claire  Historical  Society.  The  archivist  was  unable 
to  make  any  connection.  Next  it  was  the  Eau  Claire 
public  library,  the  University  of  Wisconsin  - Eau  Claire, 
and  the  Wisconsin  Historical  Society... nothing!  I guess 
the  more  things  change  the  more  they  stay  the  same  I 

Then  a light  bulb  went  on  to  show  the  way.  Actually 
it  was  modem  technology  that  lit  the  way  - annoying 
modem  technology  - a pesky  pop-up  advertisement 
forAncestry.com.  1 went  to  the  site  and  found  that  they 
have  a free  search  so  I typed  in,  ‘Seeking  A.  F.  Dyer’ 
and  sent  it  into  cyberspace.  One  week  passed,  then  an- 
other week,  then  another,  and  then  1 got  a reply!  Shock 
and  glee  mshed  over  me  at  once.  A kindly  gentleman 
asked  what  the  reason  was  for  my  search,  (I  guess  the 
genealogy  people  don’t  like  to  dole  out  information  to 
just  any  old  crackpot)  I explained  the  counterstamp, 
name,  year,  and  location,  and  he  then  sent  me  some 
compelling  information  that  started  the  basis  for  my 
theory. 

He  suggested  that  I check  the  U.  S.  census  listings.  So 
I paid  the  nominal  fee  for  a one-month  membership 
toAncestry.com  and  searched  everything!  The  kindly 
genealogist  helped  me  along  the  way  with  the  ‘how  to 
search,  ‘where  to  look’,  ‘what  to  look  for’  questions  I 
had,  which  were  numerous. 

Eventually  1 found  a compelling  lead.  Could  this  be  our 
man? 

There  was  an  inquiry  that  popped  up  from  1997  by 
someone  in  the  Dyer  family  searching  for  the  siblings 
of  his  grandfather.  In  his  search  he  found  one,  Arthur 
Franklin  Dyer,  bom  23  Oct.  1843;  died  14  Nov.  1917; 
Portland,  Maine.  Buried  in  Bay  View  Cemetery,  South 


Portland.  This  information  apparently  came  by  actual 
view  of  the  gravestone,  or  perhaps  cemetery  records.  I 
was  unable  to  find  anything  online  to  confirm  this  infor- 
mation, no  obituary,  burial  records,  cemetery  records, 
etc.  and  I was  unable  to  locate  this  family  member  who 
conducted  the  inquiry. 

In  the  1850  Federal  Census  for  Portland,  Maine  he  is 
listed  as  A.  F.  Dyer,  age  6,  estimated  date  of  birth  1844. 
Father  Arthur,  age  41 , merchant;  Mother  Hannah,  age 
28. 

(I  spoke  to  my  genealogist  friend  about  the  discrepan- 
cies in  age  and  birth  years  listed  and  he  explained  that 
this  is  common.  Census  takers  were  rarely  sticklers  for 
accuracy.) 

In  1860,  Portland,  Maine,  he  is  listed  as  Arthur  F.  Dyer, 
age  17,  grocer  and  clerk. 

In  1870,  he  is  not  found  in  Portland,  Maine,  however, 
there  is  a Frank  Dyer  listed  in  the  Census  for  West 
Eau  Claire,  Wisconsin,  age  24,  estimated  D.O.B  about 
1846,  occupation  - raftsman.  (I  learned  that  a raftsman 
was  a lumberman  whose  job  it  was  to  ride  huge  rafts 
made  of  logs  and  lumber  down  river  to  deliver  them 
safely.  The  Chippewa  River  meets  the  Mississippi  and 
the  raftsmen  would  navigate  many  miles  to  different 
points  down  river,  and  then  return  by  steamboat  or  by 
foot.  The  Chipp>ewa  River  runs  through  Eau  Claire, 
where  during  the  1850’s,  60’s,  and  70’s  lumber  was 
king.  There  were  many  mills  operating  in  the  area  and 
they  employed  thousands  of  laborers.  [ 1 1 ) Again,  the 
age  discrepancy  is  present.  It  was  explained  to  me  that 
a Census  taker  would  enter  a large  labor  camp,  in  this 
case  a large  lumber  camp,  and  many  of  the  workers 
would  be  out  working,  therefore,  whomever  was  there 
to  be  counted  would  tell  the  census  taker  information 
about  his  fellow  workers,  or  show  them  a labor  roster. 
lxx)king  at  the  actual  census  ledger  shows  that  there 
were  46  individuals  counted  in  the  group  with  Frank 
Dyer.  The  majority  of  them  were  from  Canada,  Maine 
and  New  York,  some  were  simply  listed  as  being  from 
the  USA  and  a few  were  from  Germany,  Ireland,  and 
Norway.  Unfortunately,  Frank  was  listed  from  the  USA, 
not  Maine.  My  speculation  would  be  that  whoever  gave 
the  census  taker  the  information,  .simply  did  not  know 
Frank’s  exact  age  or  where  he  was  from,  other  than  he 
was  an  American. 


In  1880,  he  is  back  in  Portland,  Maine  listed  as  Arthur 
F.  Dyer,  age  36,  wood  and  coal  dealer. 

He  is  not  found  anywhere  in  1890,  but  in  1900  he  is 
listed  as  Frank  Dyer,  age  55,  laborer. 

He  is  not  found  in  1910,  and  then  we  have  the  unveri- 
fied death  date;  November  14, 1917. 

So  now  I’m  trying  to  cross-reference  the  findings  for 
verification.  I am  in  the  process  of  searching  archival 
records  of  the  lumber  companies  that  were  operating  at 
the  time  in  hopes  of  finding  which  company  he  worked 
for  and  perhaps  some  paperwork  that  shows  his  full 
name,  etc.  It’s  a long  shot  because  the  mills  hired  so 
many  men  and  generally  with  a handshake  rather  than 
formal  paperwork. 

Of  course  there  are  many  more  questions: 

Why  would  he  use  his  middle  name?  Who  knows, 
remember  he  is  listed  as  A.  F.,  Arthur  F.,  and  Frank  in 
the  census  records. 

Would  a young  man  in  Maine  go  to  Wisconsin  for  work 
in  the  lumber  mills?  The  census  roster  shows  that  many 
workers  came  from  Maine,  New  York,  and  Canada. 

Would  he  make  a ‘pocket  piece’  out  of  a half  dollar  that 
represented  a half-day’s  wages?  (On  average  lumber- 
men made  around  50c  a day  in  1870.  However,  rafts- 
men did  better,  making  from  $1  to  $3  a day.)  [2] 

Did  he  make  any  more  counterstamps?  Perhaps  when 
he  returned  to  Maine?  This  particular  piece  is  unique 

as  far  as  we  know. 

The  Coin 

Naturally,  after  reading  Gene’s  article  and  doing 
research  on  it,  I was  compelled  to  see  if  I could  acquire 
the  coin.  Since  Gene  mentioned  he  was  ending  his 
search,  I thought  he  might  be  willing  to  part  with  it  and 
carry  on  the  suggestion  that  ‘a  Wisconsin  counterstamp 
should  be  in  a Wisconsin  collection’.  And  indeed,  he 
was  more  than  happy  to  accommodate.  In  a letter  he 
replied  to  my  inquiry:  "Jejf. . xmd  I was  very  pleased 
to  know  that  my  counterstamp  will  find  a Wisconsin 
home  and  a dedicated  owner.  My  hope  is  that  you  will 
uncover  the  man  Dyer  and  write  a happy  sequel  to  the 
wonderful  token!  coin  and  it’s  legacy  of  the  man.” 


20 


When  I met  with  Gene,  he  was  intrigued  by  the  pos- 
sibility that  ‘Frank’  was  our  man.  He  was  particularly 
pleased  that  there  was  a Frank  Dyer  placed  in  West  Eau 
Claire,  WI  in  1870.  To  him  this  was  the  most  applicable 
evidence  for  a couple  reasons.  First,  the  name  West 
Eau  Claire  was  short  lived.  Between  1860  and  1872, 
the  area  on  the  west  side  of  the  Chippewa  River  was 
known  by  no  less  that  4 names;  Half  Moon,  Oak  Grove, 
Randall  Town,  and  lastly.  West  Eau  Claire.  In  1872, 
the  three  towns  of  West  Eau  Claire,  North  Eau  Claire, 
and  Eau  Claire  were  incorporated  into  the  singular 
‘Eau  Claire’ . [3]  So  there  was  perhaps  a 4 or  5-year 
period  when  this  part  of  town  was  known  as  West  Eau 
Claire.  Our  man  would  have  had  to  reside  there  and 
countermark  his  coin  between  1867  and  1872,  which  he 
did  (1869).  Second,  I estimated  from  the  1870  Federal 
Census  that  the  entire  population  of  the  three  areas  of 
Eau  Claire  was  approximately  3700.  Slightly  over  one 
third  of  those,  or  about  1300,  were  listed  from  West 
Eau  Claire.  So  out  of  1300  residents  in  West  Eau  Claire 
in  1870  there  is  a man  named  Frank  Dyer.  (The  census 
shows  there  were  no  other  Dyers  located  in  Eau  Claire 
or  the  pre-incorporated  towns  1850  - 1910)  And  we 
have  a coin  that  is  marked  ‘A.  F.  DYER,  from  West  Eau 
Claire  in  1869.  The  coincidence  seems  overwhelming. 

The  first  thing  I noticed  about  the  1811  Capped  Bust 
Half  when  I had  it  in  my  hand  was  the  small  8.  The 
‘bible’  for  attributing  die  varieties  for  bust  half  dol- 
lars is  ‘United  States  Early  Half  Dollar  Varieties’  by 
A1  Overton.  I attributed  the  die  variety  for  this  coin 
as  Overton  108.  (The  coin  is  listed  in  ‘Merchant  and 
Privately  Countermarked  Coins’ , by  Gregory  G.  Brunk, 
D-646  pg.  376.  2003  Edition.) 

Next  I turned  my  attention  to  the  countermark.  Gene 
had  mentioned  in  the  article  that  he  thought  the  coun- 
terstamping was  from  a prepared  die.  But  a die-strike 
would  more  likely  be  associated  with  a merchant 
of  some  sort,  and  many  would  be  struck  to  use  as 
advertising.  Conversely,  a hand-punched  piece  is  more 
conducive  to  a guy  who  just  wanted  to  make  a lucky 
pocket  charm.  Obviously,  my  theory  wants  this  coin  to 
be  hand-punched. 

As  I looked  at  the  stamping,  I wasn’t  so  sure  it  was 
die  struck.  While  it  is  well  done,  it  certainly  is  not  as 
perfect  as  one  would  expect  from  a prepared  die.  The 
arches  of  A.F.  DYER  and  W.  EAU  CLAIRE  are  not 
quite  contour.  1 869  and  WIS  are  on  off-angles.  Gene 


recalled  that  his  conclusion  of  die-strike  was  mostly 
based  on  his  observation  that  it  is  better  done  than  other 
hand-punched  pieces  he  has  encountered.  Neither  of 
us  being  experts  on  the  subject,  he  suggested  I get  an 
expert  opinion. 


When  I got  the  coin  home,  I examined  it  on  the 
microscope  and  found  mounting  evidence  that  it  had 
been  hand-punched:  The  letters  are  tilted  in  different 
directions,  the  depth  of  strike  varies  from  letter  to  letter, 
the  spacing  of  the  letters  varies,  the  depth  and  spacing 
of  the  periods  varies.  Close  examination  of  the  letters 
shows  that  the  punches  used  are  relatively  crudely  cut. 
The  serifs  are  heavy  and  uneven,  the  stands  are  not  uni- 
form, and  some  of  the  serifs  appear  chipped  or  broken 
and  mushy.  I also  believe  that  the  same  punch 


21 


was  used  for  some  of  the  letters.  The  E’s  and  A’s  match, 
the  I’s  and  R’s  appear  to  be  the  same  punch  but  slightly 
damaged  after  the  first  blow.  1 think  the  6 and  9 are  the 
same  punch  flipped  upside  down.  The  bulging/flatten- 
ing on  the  reverse  appears  uneven  and  lumpy  as  though 
some  letters  were  punched  with  a heavier  blow  than 
others,  whereas,  a die  strike  would  show  more  even 
flattening. 


Taking  Gene’s  advice,  I sent  photos  and  my  observa- 
tions to  a couple  exp>erts  in  the  field  of  early  federal 
coinage,  Edgar  Souders  and  Brad  Karoleff  whom  both 
emphatically  pronounced,  “Hand-Punched”.  Establish- 
ing that  this  is  a hand-punched  pocket  piece  lends  more 
credibility  to  my  theory...  but  questions  remain. 

How  does  a lumberman  get  a hold  of  a set  of  letter 
punches?  If  he  does  get  the  punches,  does  he  have  the 
skill  to  stamp  the  coin?  Did  he  pay  someone  else,  per- 
haps a jeweler  to  execute  the  stamping?  Since  he  had 
the  punches  in  hand,  did  he  make  more  than  one? 

Conclusion 

My  theory  is  that  around  1868,  Arthur  Franklin  Dyer,  at 
about  age  25,  packed  up  and  left  Portland,  Maine,  per- 
haps with  a buddy  or  two,  to  answer  the  call  for  work- 
ers in  the  booming  lumber  industry  in  western  Wiscon- 
sin. He  either  had  some  previous  experience,  or  simply 
had  the  wherewithal,  strength, dexterity, and  swimming 
ability  it  takes  to  be  a lumber  raftsman.  (Raftsmen  were 
tested  for  their  swimming  skill.)  |4|  He  liked  his  work 
but  knew  the  dangers.  On  one  of  his  paydays  he  took  a 
half  dollar,  punched  (or  had  punched)  his  identification 
on  it  and  carried  it  with  him  every  day  on  the  job  for 
good  luck,  or  perhaps  to  identify  his  body  should  he 
meet  his  demise  and  go  to  the  great  log  roller  in  the  sky. 
He  moved  back  to  Maine  when  the  lumber  industry  be- 
gan to  cool  down  in  the  mid  to  late  I870’s.  Did  he  carry 
the  coin  with  him  back  east?  Did  he  spend  it  before  he 


left  Wisconsin?  I’ll  never  know,  but  like  Gene  Johnson 
said,  it  won’t  stop  my  curiosity.  NOW  members,  any 
feedback  or  suggestions  to  further  the  investigation  are 
welcome  and  encouraged!  I will  follow  up  if  anything 
else  comes  to  light. 

Epilogue 

Since  the  article  was  published  in  the  John  Reich 
Journal,  there  have  been  a few  questions  answered  and 
a few  more  intriguing  leads  presented. 

Distinguished  numismatic  author  David  Lange  re- 
sponded about  a few  items: 

“There  were  no  results  from  the  1890  census,  since 
most  of  this  record  was  lost  in  a fire  many  years  ago.  ” 

“Regarding  Dyer’s  use  of  his  middle  name  instead  of 
his  first  name,  note  that  father  and  son  had  the  same 
first  name,  Arthur.  It’s  likely  that  he  was  therefore 
known  as  Frank  from  childhood  to  distinguish  him 
from  his  father.  A parallel  can  be  found  in  Q.  David 
Bowers,  who  uses  his  middle  name  to  distinguish  him- 
self from  father,  both  of  them  being  named  Quentin.” 

“I  had  similar  experiences  to  yours  in  using  census 
records.  Both  names  and  dates  varied  from  one  edition 
to  the  next.  You  can  imageine  the  haste  in  which  census 
takers  had  to  work  when  conducting  their  interviews 
door-to-door”. 

Dave’s  notes  coincide  with  my  findings  about  the  cen- 
sus, and  his  insight  about  the  name  also  lends  suppxirt 
to  the  hypothesis  and  why  he  was  known  as  A.F.,  or 
Frank. 

Gene  Johnson  sent  me  two  Dyer  listings  from  the  1872 
Gazetteer,  which  may  open  a new  possibility.  Listed, 
as  ‘Druggists’  from  Boscobel  were,  ‘Dyer  and  Peterson 
‘as  well  as,’  Dyer  and  McWilliams.  I theorized  that 
Dyer  left  Wisconsin  in  the  mid-1870’s.  Did  he  quit  lum- 
bering as  early  as  1871?  Could  he  have  simply  moved 
150  miles  south  to  open  a drug  store  in  Boscobel? 

Finally,  about  four  months  later  I received  an  enthusias- 
tic email  from  a gentleman  named  Bruce  Mosher  who 
blew  my  socks  off!  Here  is  what  he  had  to  say: 

“I’ve  collected  and  researched  counterstcvnps  for  years 
and  have  contributed  many  new  attributions  and  previ- 
ously unlisted  pieces  to  Greg  Brunk  and  Russ  Rulau. 


22 


Since  you  were  soliciting  comments  from  Journal  read- 
ers, I thought  I’d  throw  in  my  “two  cents”  worth.” 

“First,  I believe  you’ve  found  the  real  issuer  of  the 
counterstamp . While  it’s  rare  to  be  100%  certain,  af- 
ter reviewing  your  evidence  carefully,  I feel  strongly 
that  Arthur  F.  Dyer  is  indeed  the  issuer.  ” 

“I  agree  absolutely  that  the  piece  is  hand  punched  and 
not  from  a prepared  die.  All  the  physical  characteris- 
tics are  consistent  with  individual  letter  punches  being 
used.  Not  only  that,  but  manufacturing  an  expensive 
prepared  punch  would  have  been  impractical  to  stamp 
a single  coin  with  (I  feel  your  counter  stamp  is  unique... 
personal  momenta s nearly  always  are).  Though  / 
wouldn’t  call  this  a “pocket-piece”  per  se,  it’s  surely 
personal  identification  of  some  sort.  True  pocket  pieces 
generally  exhibit  more  wear  and/or  damage  than  this 
one  does.  Especially  considering  the  physical  demands 
of  his  job.  The  punches  were  likely  available  where 
he  worked,  as  they  would  want  to  mark  tools  and 
equipment  or  other  things  the  company  owned.  He 
probably  just  borrowed  the  punch,  set  one  day  when  he 
had  some  spare  time  and  went  to  work.  No  particular 
skill  is  needed  to  stamp  a coin.  I’ve  done  it  myself  with 
pretty  decent  results.  ” 


“I’ve  attached  a page  to  my  e-mail  that  may  be  “your 
A.F.  Dyer.  It  says  circa  1885,  but  the  store  is  in  Skow- 
hegan,  not  Portland. 

He  may  have  lived  and  worked  there  during  those 
years,  but  I didn ’t  find  anything  to  confirm  that.  You 
may  have  seen  this  photo  before,  but  I thought  I’d  send 
it  along,  just  in  case  you  hadn ’t.  ” 

NO,  I had  never  seen  this  photo!  Could  this  be  an  ac- 
tual photo  of  ‘our’  A.  F.  Dyer??  Skowhegan  is  about  95 
miles  north  of  Portland,  Maine.  What  kind  of  store  is  it? 
A drug  store  perhaps?  A ‘drug’  store  back  then  was  of- 
ten simply  an  all-purpose  store  carrying  many  everyday 
items  as  well  as  potions,  lotions,  and  pharmaceuticals. 
Did  A.F.  Dyer  set  up  a store  in  Boscobel  for  a few  years 
before  heading  back  to  Maine  to  open  a store  there? 
Remember,  his  father  was  a merchant  in  the  1850’s, 
and  A.  F.  is  listed  as  a grocer/clerk  as  a teenager,  then 
a wood  and  coal  dealer  later  in  the  1880’s.  Were  wood 
and  coal  and  other  fuel  items  part  of  his  all-purpose 
store?  Obviously,  we  need  to  do  some  more  digging! ! 

Sources: 

[1][3][4]  ‘The  History  ofEau  Claire  County’ , William  F. 
Bailey,  ed.  1842  - 1914. 


“The  inaccuracies  in  the  census  data  can  be  explained 
by  the  factors  you’ve  already  outlined  in  the  article. 
When  using  them  to  trace  people,  birth  dates,  initials, 
and  any  other  number  of  things  can  be  wrong  due  to 
recording  errors,  bad  information,  etc.” 


[1][2]  ‘Lumbermen  on  the  Chippewa’,  Malcolm  Rosholt,  1982 

Special  thanks  to  Gene  Johnson  for  his  trust,  insight,  and 
stewardship  of  this  awesome  half  dollar. 

Thanks  to  the  genealogy  gentleman  I met  on  Ancestry.com. 
(Mr.  Tim),  who  helped  me  immensely. 


* * * 


A.F.  Dyer  Store 
Skowhegan,  Maine 
circa  1885 


Finder’s  Keepers? 

[News-Sickle  Arrow  article  compiled  by  Phyllis  Calkins] 

A few  weeks  ago  our  local  newspaper  included  this  story 
that  happened  a half-century  ago  in  Black  Earth,  Wis.  A 
family  found  over  $18,000  stashed  in  their  attic,  but  their 
dream  eventually  soured. 

In  1 961 , you  could  buy  a middle  class 
mansion  for  $1  8,000.  With  that  kind  of 
money,  you  could  buy  five  or  six  new  cars... 
those  big  ones  with  the  fins... 

The  average  annual  median  income  in 
1961  was  about  $5,700,  and  $18,000 
represented  3 years  income.  So  you  can 
imagine  the  mental  images  that  flashed 
through  the  minds  of  the  Gilbert  and  Dorothy 
Cockroft  family  after  Gilbert  pulled  aside  a 
loose  board  in  the  attic  of  their  home  and 
discovered  $1  8,565  in  assorted  bills  and 
coins. 

This  was  one  of  the  biggest  stories  ever  to 
hit  Black  Earth.  It  made  all  the  area  papers 
and  it  went  national  as  well,  making  the  New 
York  Times  and  other  metro  papers. 

The  Cockroft  story  was  a story  gone 
“viral”,  1 961 -style,  and  for  a little  while  the 
Cockrofts  and  their  new  home  were  famous... 
and,  for  a little  while,  they  were  rich. 

The  Capital  Times  quoted  Gilbert  as  saying 
“I  don’t  really  know  whose  money  it  is,  but 
I’ll  find  out  Monday”.  It  turned  out  he  didn’t 
find  out  on  Monday  - that  decision  came 
over  two  years  later.  And  in  the  end,  much 
to  the  dismay  of  many,  it  was  ruled  the 
money  did  not  belong  to  the  Cockrofts.  Not 
one  penny. 

Cash  in  Cans 

The  late  Gilbert  Cockroft’s  children  remember 
the  sequence  of  events  like  it  was  just 
played  out.  Especially  the  day  of  discovery, 
Saturday,  September  30,  1961. 

“I  went  running  through  the  house  yelling 
‘Daddy  found  some  money.  Daddy  found 


some  money”  laughs  Paul,  who  was  8 at  the 
time. 

The  Cockrofts  moved  to  Black  Earth  on  June 
1 , 1 959,  paid  $8,000  for  the  former  funeral 
home  and  settled  into  their  new  home.  Their 
home  featured  4 small  bedrooms  upstairs  and 
an  attic  over  the  kitchen  that  amounted  to 
being  another  upstairs  room.  Diana,  who  was 
1 2,  had  a friend  visiting  the  night  her  father 
was  rummaging  around  in  the  attic.  Then  she 
heard  her  dad  say  “I  think  I found  some  play 
money  in  here.”  Diana  recalls  saying  “Dad, 
that’s  not  our  stuff.” 

Gilbert  removed  a board  covering  a small 
cubby-hole  in  the  attic.  The  space  contained 
a coffee  can,  a gallon  can  and  a wooden  box, 
according  to  reports  at  the  time.  Opening 
them,  he  found  the  containers  were  packed 
with  tightly-wound  bills,  mostly  old,  large  $20 
bills  with  some  1 Os  and  5s  and  a few  1 00s 
and  50s. 

In  addition,  there  were  1 9^^  century  gold  coins 
with  a face  value  of  less  than  $1 ,000,  but  an 
unknown  collector  value.  The  oldest  coin  was 
dated  1851,  according  to  several  newspaper 
accounts.  Once  he  realized  he  wasn’t 
dealing  with  play  money,  Gilbert  brought  the 
containers  down  to  the  kitchen  and  a hasty, 
disorganized  count  ensued  recalls  his  children. 

Initially,  the  Cockrofts  came  up  with  a figure 
of  about  $22,000.  Gilbert  called  village 
constable  “Clancy”  Obright,  asking  if  he  could 
stop  over,  but  it  wasn’t  an  emergency.  When 
Clancy  arrived  and  realized  what  was  going 
on,  he  asked  “Whatddya  mean,  this  isn’t  an 
emergency?” 

Legal  Questions 

The  Cockrofts  put  the  money  under  their  bed 
and  kept  it  there  until  the  bank  opened  on 
Monday,  remembers  Paul.  “We  didn’t  take 
pictures  of  the  money.  I wish  we  had”. 

Once  the  money  was  in  the  care  of  the  bank, 
the  gold  was  exchanged  for  currency  - based 
on  the  gold’s  face  value  - and  the  count  was 
finalized  recalled  Cockroft. 


24 


Soon  local  funeral  director  Harold  Schanel, 
who  sold  the  Cockrofts  their  home,  was  on 
their  doorstep,  saying  the  money  belonged 
to  his  family. 

According  to  Paul,  Schanel  told  the 
Cockrofts  the  late  Chris  Schanel,  Harold’s 
father,  told  them  on  his  deathbed,  “I’ve 
hidden  money  somewhere  in  the  house”  and 
they  searched  and  found  $300  somewhere 
else  in  the  house.  The  implication,  said  Paul, 
was  that  the  Schanels  had  thought  the 
$300  was  the  money  Chris  Schanel  was 
referring  to  and  subsequently  abandoned 
their  search.  Schanel  said  his  dad  didn’t 
trust  the  banks  during  the  Depression,  but 
this  money  (the  $1 8,000)  was  old. 

Schanel  offered  the  Cockrofts  one  fifth  of 
Gilbert’s  find,  with  the  Schanel  heirs  dividing 
up  the  rest.  Gilbert  declined  the  offer. 

Gilbert’s  father-in-law  had  advised  him  to 
get  a good  lawyer.  “A  lot  of  people  said 
when  you  buy  a house,  you  buy  what’s 
in  it”.  The  court  did  not  agree  with  that 
philosophy,  however.  On  February  1 2, 

1 963,  a jury  awarded  the  entire  amount 
to  the  Schanel  family.  The  decision  was 
upheld  several  months  later  by  Circuit  Judge 
Richard  Bardwell. 

No  Hard  Feelings 

You’d  think  someone  who  had  lost  out  on 
a small  fortune  would  harbor  some  ill  will. 
The  children  of  the  late  Gilbert  and  Dorothy 
Cockroft  say  they  do  not. 

The  episode  actually  ended  up  costing  the 
Cockrofts  money  - they  had  to  pay  court 
costs  and  attorney  fees. 


A Stocking  Full  of 

Caution! 

Something  to  Think 
About  and 
Pass  on  to  Friends 

Phyllis  Calkins  #99L 


“A  couple  of  weeks  ago  a friend  of  our  daughter  told  her  their 
car  had  been  broken  into  while  they  were  at  a football  game. 
Their  car  was  parked  on  the  green  adjacent  to  the  football 
stadium,  specifically  allotted  to  football  fans.  Things  stolen 
from  their  car  included  a garage  door  remote  control,  money 
and  a GPS  which  had  been  prominently  mounted  on  the 
dashboard.  When  they  got  home  they  found  their  house  had 
been  ransacked  and  just  about  everything  worth  anything  had 
been  stolen.  The  thieves  had  used  the  GPS  to  guide  them  to 
the  house.  They  knew  the  owners  were  at  the  football  game, 
so  they  knew  how  much  time  they  had  to  clean  out  the  house. 


Something  to  remember  - if  you  have  a GPS,  don’t  put 
your  home  address  in  it.  Put  a nearby  address  (like  a store 
or  gas  station)  so  you  can  still  find  your  way  home,  but  no 
one  else  would  know  where  you  live  if  your  GPS  is  stolen. 

Mobile  Phones  --  another  big  lesson 

This  lady  changed  her  habit  of  how  she  lists  her  names  on 
her  mobile  phone.  Her  handbag,  which  contained  her  cell 
phone,  credit  card,  wallet,  etc.  was  stolen...  A few  minutes 
later  she  called  her  husband  from  a pay  phone  telling  him 
what  had  happened.  Hubby  said  “I  received  your  text 
message  asking  about  our  Pin  number  and  I replied  a little 
while  ago.”  When  they  rushed  to  the  bank,  they  were  told 
all  the  money  was  already  withdrawn.  The  thief  had  actually 
used  the  stolen  cell  phone  to  text  “hubby"  in  the  contact  list 
and  got  hold  of  the  pin  number.  Within  20  minutes  he  had 
withdrawn  all  the  money  from  their  bank  account. 


Still,  nearly  $20,000  in  1961  - the 
equivalent  of  nearly  $1  50,000  today  - was 
indeed  a small  fortune. 

★ ★ ★ 


Moral  of  this  lesson:  Do  not  disclose  the  relationship 
between  you  and  the  people  in  your  contact  list.  Avoid  using 
names  like  “home”.  Honey,  Hubby,  Dad,  Mom,  etc..  And  very 
importantly,  when  sensitive  info  is  being  asked  for  thru  Texts, 
CONFIRM  by  calling  back.  Also,  when  you’re  being  texted 
by  friends  or  family  to  meet  them  somewhere,  be  sure  to  call 
back  to  confirm  that  the  message  came  from  them.  If  you 
don’t  reach  them,  be  very  careful  about  going  places  to  meet 
“family  and  friends"  who  text  you. 


25 


Shoppers  Beware! 


During  the  Christmas 
season  shoppers  are 
more  at  risk  of  having 
their  wallets  or  ID’s 
stolen  than  any  other 
time  of  the  year.  These 
tips  were  submitted  by 
Sue  Ellen  Miller. 


Attorney's  Advice  — No  Charge! 

1)  Do  not  sign  the  back  of  your  credit  cards.  Instead, 
put  “PHOTO  ID  REQUIRED”. 

2)  When  you  are  writing  checks  to  pay  on  your  credit 
card  accounts,  do  NOT  put  the  complete  account 
number  on  the  “For”  line.  Instead,  just  put  the  last 
four  numbers.  The  credit  card  company  knows 
the  rest  of  the  number,  and  anyone  who  might  be 
handling  your  check  as  it  passes  through  all  the 
check-processing  channels  won’t  have  access  to  it. 

3)  Put  your  work  phone  number  on  your  checks  in- 
stead of  your  home  phone.  If  you  have  a PO.  Box, 
use  that  instead  of  your  home  address.  If  you  do 
not  have  a P.O.  Box,  use  your  work  address. 

4)  NEVER  have  your  social  security  number  printed  on 
your  checks.  You  can  add  it,  if  it  is  necessary,  but  if 
you  have  it  printed,  anyone  can  get  it. 

5)  Place  the  contents  of  your  wallet  on  a photocopy 
machine.  Do  both  sides  of  each  license,  credit 
card,  etc.  You  will  know  what  you  had  in  your  wallet 
and  all  of  the  account  numbers  and  phone  numbers 
to  call  and  cancel.  Keep  the  photocopy  in  a safe 
place.  I also  carry  a photocopy  of  my  passport 
when  I travel  either  here  or  abroad.  We’ve  all  heard 
horror  stories  about  fraud  that’s  committed  on  us  in 
stealing  a name,  address,  social  security  number, 
credit  cards,  etc. 


Unfortunately,  I am  an  attorney  and  have  first  hand 
knowledge  because  my  wallet  was  stolen  last  month. 
Within  a week,  the  thieves  ordered  an  expensive 
monthly  cell  phone  package,  applied  for  a VISA  credit 
card,  had  a credit  line  approved  to  buy  a computer, 
received  a PIN  number  from  DMV  to  change  my  driv- 
ing record  information  online,  and  more... 

But  here’s  some  critical  information  to  limit  the  damage 
in  case  this  happens  to  you: 

6)  We  have  been  told  we  should  cancel  our  credit 
cards  immediately.  But  the  key  is  having  the  toll- 
free  numbers  and  your  card  numbers  handy  so  you 
know  whom  to  call.  Keep  those  where  you  can  find 
them. 

7)  File  a police  report  immediately  in  the  jurisdiction 
where  your  credit  cards  etc.  were  stolen.  This 
proves  to  credit  providers  you  were  diligent,  and  this 
is  a first  step  toward  an  investigation  (if  there  ever 

is  one). 

Here’s  what  is  most  important  of  all 

Call  the  3 national  credit  reporting  organizations  im- 
mediately to  place  a fraud  alert  on  your  name  and  also 
call  the  social  security  fraud  line  number.  I had  never 
heard  of  doing  that  until  advised  by  a bank  that  called 
to  tell  me  an  application  for  credit  was  made  over  the 
internet  in  my  name. 

The  alert  means  any  company  that  checks  your  credit 
knows  your  information  was  stolen,  and  they  have  to 
contact  you  by  phone  to  authorize  new  credit.  By  the 
time  I was  advised  to  do  this,  (almost  2 weeks  after 
the  theft),  all  the  damage  had  been  done.  There  are 
records  of  all  the  credit  checks  initiated  by  the  thieves’ 
purchases,  none  of  which  I knew  about  before  placing 
the  alert. 

Since  then,  no  additional  damage  has  been  done, 
and  the  thieves  threw  away  my  wallet  this  weekend 
(someone  turned  it  in).  It  seems  to  have  stopped  them 
dead  in  their  tracks. 


26 


Important  Numbers  To  Remember 

Here  are  the  numbers  you  need  to  contact  if  your  wallet 
has  been  stolen. 

1)  Equifax:  1-800-525-6285  (TDD  800-255-0056) 

2)  Experian  (formerly  TRW):  1-888-397-3742 

(TDD  888-397-3742) 

3) )  Trans  Union:  1-800-680-7289  (TDD  877-553-7803) 

4)  Social  Security  Administration  (fraud  line) 

1-800-269-0271 

We  pass  along  jokes  on  the  internet,  we  pass  along 
just  about  everything.  If  you’re  willing  to  pass  this 
information  along,  it  could  really  help  someone. 


Celebrate  the 
Season 


Gingerbread  has  been  a holiday  tradition  for 
thousands  of  years.  It  was  originally  eaten 
during  Winter  Solstice  Festivals,  but  the 
tradition  of  the  house  made  of  Gingerbread 
originated  in  Germany. 


The  Festival  of 
Santa  Lucia 

Saint  Lucia  of  Syracuse  was  a 
Christian  martyr  from  the  4th 
century.  In  Scandinavia,  she  has 
become  a symbol  of  the  Christmas 
season.  She  is  often  depicted  with 
candles  in  her  hair  while  she  carries 
a tray  of  sweet  breads. 

The  Festival  of  Santa  Lucia  begins  before 
dawn,  on  the  1 3^^  of  December,  which  under 
the  old  Julian  calendar  (used  in  Sweden  be- 
fore 1 753)  was  Christmas  Day  and  the  lon- 
gest night  of  the  year.  Throughout  Sweden, 
the  eldest  daughter  in  each  household  comes 
to  her  sleeping  parents,  dressed  in  a long 
white  gown  tied  with  a red  sash,  and  wear- 
ing a crown  of  lingonberry  leaves  in  which 
are  set  seven  lighted  candles.  In  her  hands 
she  carries  a tray  of  steaming  hot  coffee 
and  “Lussekattor”  (Lucia  Runs).  The  proces- 
sion includes  her  sisters  and  brothers  also 
dressed  in  white,  holding  lighted  candles,  and 
singing  of  the  light  and  joy  of  Christmas. 

The  sisters  of  the  Lucia  Bride  wear  a wreath 
of  tinsel  in  their  hair  and  a piece  tied  around 
heir  waist,  while  the  boys  have  tall  pointed 
caps  sprinkled  with  stars.  Awakened  by  the 
lights  and  the  singing,  the  parents  arise  and 
eat  the  breakfast  served,  thus  ushering  in 
the  Christmas  season. 


Hallmark  founded  the  gift-wrap  industry  in 
1917.  Before  that  date,  consumers  pur- 
chased Christmas  tissue  in  seasonal  colors. 
You  may  remember  when  stores  wrapped  all 
customers  purchases  in  Christmas  paper. 

When  stores  ran  out  of  the  tissue  wrap. 
Hallmark  produced  the  first  wrapping  paper 
created  from  decorative  envelope  linings  and 
sold  it  for  1 0 cents  a sheet 

Wrapping  paper  is  $2.6  billion  a year 
industry. 


Scandinavian  tradition  holds  that  in  Varm- 
land,  Sweden,  the  white-clad  maiden,  wear- 
ing a crown  of  burning  candles,  brought  food 
to  the  starving  villagers  on  the  shores  of 
Lake  Vanern.  No  one  knows  how  long  ago 
the  tradition  began,  but  it  was  so  far  back 
that  the  festival  of  Santa  Lucia  was  marked 
by  a notch  in  the  primitive  “primstav”  (calen- 
dar stick),  the  precursor  of  the  calendar.  It 
later  became  customary  in  western  Sweden 
to  finish  the  threshing  by  Lucia  Day  so  as  to 
begin  the  cooking  and  baking  for  the  long 
Christmas  festivities.  From  its  beginnings 
in  Varmland,  the  customs  in  honor  of  Santa 
Lucia  have  spread  throughout  Sweden,  and 


27 


more  recently  to  the  rest  of  Scandinavia.  To- 
day the  festival  is  celebrated  in  schools,  hos- 
pitals, businesses  and  towns;  each  of  which 
has  its  own  Lucia  Bride  and  festivities  to  mark 
the  beginning  of  Christmas.  Santa  Lucia  Day 
is  also  an  international  holiday,  celebrated 
not  only  in  Scandinavia,  but  also  in  Italy  and 
France  in  the  rites  of  the  Church. 

However,  the  origins  of  this  tradition  are  not 
in  Scandinavia,  but  in  Syracuse  on  the  island 
of  Sicily  around  304  A.D.  According  to  the 
Sicilian  legend,  Lucia’s  mother,  a wealthy 
lady  had  been  miraculously  cured  of  an  illness 
at  the  sepulcher  of  Saint  Agatha  in  Catania. 
Lucia,  a Christian,  persuaded  her  mother 
in  thankfulness  to  distribute  her  wealth  to 
the  poor.  So,  by  candlelight,  the  mother 
and  daughter  went  about  the  city  secretly 
ministering  to  the  poor  of  Syracuse. 

Unfortunately,  this  was  during  the  last  great 
persecution  of  Christians  in  the  reign  of  the 
Emperor  Diocletian.  The  pagan  young  man, 
to  whom  Lucia  was  engaged,  took  a dim 
view  of  this  distributing  of  her  dowry,  and 
denounced  her  to  the  prefect,  Pascasius, 
who  ordered  that  she  be  seized  and  tortured. 
Miraculously,  when  neither  boiling  oil  or 
burning  pitch  had  the  power  to  hurt  her, 
she  was  blinded  and  slain  with  a sword.  Her 
martyrdom  was  recorded  in  ancient  sources 
and  in  an  inscription  found  in  Syracuse. 

How  or  when  this  legend  and  tradition  came 
to  Varmland,  Sweden,  no  one  knows.  With 
the  coming  of  Christianity  to  Sweden  shortly 
after  1 000  A.D.,  missionaries  and  priests 
may  have  told  the  story  to  inspire  new 
converts.  Another  possibility  is  that  sailors 
from  Sweden  may  have  been  captivated  the 
popular  candlelight  festival  of  Santa  Lucia 
in  Italy  and  brought  the  tradition  back  with 
them. 

A newer  theory,  requiring  more  research  is 
that  St.  Birgitta  (1303-1 373),  during  her 
stay  in  Rome  (1349-1  373)  in  her  effort  to 
get  papal  approval  of  the  Bridgittine  Order 


for  women,  probably  wrote  home  to  Sweden 
telling  of  the  Lucia  legend  which  was  widely 
known  in  Italy.  As  Lucia  Day  comes  at  the 
darkest  time  of  year,  the  candles  of  the 
ministering  Santa  Lucia  portend  and  witness 
to  the  True  Light-the-birth  of  the  Lord  Jesus 
Christ.  On  the  morning  of  December  1 3^^  the 
strains  of  Santa  Lucia  are  heard  everywhere 
in  Sweden  as  the  white-robed  maiden  comes 
out  of  the  night  wearing  her  burning  crown  of 
candles  dispelling  the  darkness.  In  honor  of 
her  martyrdom,  it  has  long  been  the  custom 
to  donate  money  on  Lucia  day  to  institutions 
working  for  the  blind. 

Since  1956,  the  Scandinavian  Club  of 
Portland  has  preserved  the  beauty  of  this 
ancient  tradition  with  a festival  celebrating 
the  coming  of  Santa  Lucia  preceding  the 
Christmas  holidays.  In  1960,  the  club 
collaborated  with  Lloyd  Center,  providing 
a spectacular  setting  on  their  ice  pavilion 
for  the  coronation  of  the  Lucia  Bride  each 
year.  In  the  tradition  of  the  charitable  life 
of  Lucia,  the  court  members  visit  churches, 
hospitals,  local  businesses,  and  homes  for 
the  elderly  telling  the  story  of  Santa  Lucia 
and  bringing  the  holiday  spirit  into  the 
hearts  of  all  they  meet.  These  girls  are 
goodwill  representatives  of  all  Scandinavian 
communities  in  Oregon  and  southwest  of 
Washington,  and  the  countries  of  their 
forebears  - Denmark,  Finland,  Iceland,  Norway 
and  Sweden. 

★ ★ ★ 


At  Christmas  it  is  tradi- 
tional to  exchange  kisses 
beneath  the  mistletoe. 

In  ancient  Scandinavia, 
mistletoe  was  associ- 
ated with  peace  and 
friendship.  That  may 
account  for  the  custom 
of  “kissing  beneath  the 
mistletoe”. 


28 


2012  Coin  Show  Information 

(Please  print] 


Show  information  for Coin  Club 

Coin  Club  Website: 

\ 

Coin  Show  Date(s):  

Hours:  

Location:  : 

Address:  

City/State/Zip:  

Number  of  Tables:  

Show  Contact: 

Name:  

Address:  


Phone:  

e-mail:  

Send  to:  Numismatists  of  Wisconsin 
P.O.Box  155 
Mazomanie,WI  53560 


29 


2012  Coin  Club  Meetings 

(Please  print] 


Coin  Club:  

Meeting  Information: 

Club  Meets  (date) 
Time:  

Location: 

Address:  

City/State  


Contact: 

Phone: 

e-mail 


Send  to;  NOW  Hditor 
P.O.Box  155 
Mazomanie,  W1  53560 


30 


Coin  Club  Meetings 

Barron  County  Coin  Club 

Meets  7:00  p.m.  the  2nd  Thursday  of  each  month  at  the 
School  Administration  Bldg.,  700  Augusta  St.,  Rice  Lake. 
Contact  Barron  County  Coin  Club,  P.O.  Box  362,  Chetek,  WI 
54868. 

Elgin  IL  Coin  Club 

Meets  at  7:30  1st  Wednesday  at  the  VFW  Post  1307, 1601 
Weld  Rd.„  Elgin,  IL  60123.  Contact  Don  Cemy,  PO  Box  561, 
S.  Hgin,  IL  60177.  Ph.  847-888-1449. 

Fishbowl  Wooden  Nickel  Coin  Club  ' 

Meets  the  3rd  Thursday  (April -October);  at  the  Siren  Sr. 
Center,  23943  State  Road  35,  Siren,  7:00  traders;  8:00  busi- 
ness meeting.  Contact  Gary  Schauls,  2702  150th  St.,  Luck, 
WI  54853-3811. 

Phone  715-472-2002. 

Fond  du  Lac  Coin  Club 

Meets  the  1st  Tuesday  (May  thru  Sept.)  at  the  Senior  Center 
East  2nd  Street  in  Fond  du  Lac.  Contact  Fond  du  Lac  Coin 
Club,  PO  Box  254,  Oshkosh,  WI  54903. 

Fox  Valley  Coin  Club 

Meets  at  7:30  the  1st  and  3rd  Tuesday  of  each  month  at  Prime 
Time  Club,  11150  Valley  Road,  Menasha. 

Intnl.  Bank  Note  Society  - Midwest  Chapter 
Meets  1 p.m.  at  North  Shore  Library  in  Glendale, 
www.mcfl  s .org/northshorel  i brary . 

Kenosha  Coin  Club 

Meets  at  7:30  on  the  1st  Thursday  of  each  month  at  3030 
39th  Ave,  Kenosha.  Contact:  Jerry  Binsfeld  262-657-4653. 

Kettle  Moraine  Coin  & Stamp  Club 

Meets  at  7:30  on  the  2nd  Thursday  of  each  month  at  Silver- 

brook  Middle  School,  120  N.  Silverbrook  Drive  in  West  Bend. 

Youth  meeting  at  6:30.  Contact:  Dave  Hunsicker  262-338- 

6064. 

Lake  County  Coin  Club 

Meets  7:00  the  IstTues.  at  the  Gurnee  Police  facility,  100  N. 
O’Plaine  Rd.  Gurnee,  IL.  Contact:  George  Efsen,  847-975- 
5338. 

Lakeland  Coin  & Stamp  Club 

Meets  at  6:45  the  first  and  third  Thursday  of  each  month  at 
Lakeland  Senior  Center,  Woodruff,  WI. 

Madison  Coin  Club 

Meets  at  7:00  on  the  2nd  Monday  of  each  month  at  the  Alicia 
Ashman  Branch  of  the  Madison  Public  Library,  733  N.  High 
Point  Road.  Contact  Tom  Galway.  Phone  608-238-1722. 


Manitowoc  Coin  Club 

No  regular  monthly  meetings.  An  annual  coin  show  is  held 
in  February.  Contact  A1  Hrudka  920-775-4979. 

Milwaukee  Numismatic  Society 

Meets  at  7:00  on  the  3rd  Thursday  of  each  month  at  the 

Mayfair  Mall  Community  Room,  2500  N.  Mayfair  Road  in 

Wauwatosa  (use  #2  entrance,  east  side  of  mall). 

www.milwaukeenumismaticsociety.com. 

Nicolet  Coin  Club 

Meets  at  6:30  on  the  2nd  & 4th  Tuesday  at  the  Bay  Family 
Restaurant  comer  of  Militry  and  9th  St.  in  Green  Bay. 

Northwoods  Stamp  & Coin  Club 
Meets  2nd  & 4th  Tuesday  in  lower  level  of  the  Masonic 
Temple,  23  E.  Davenport  St.,  Rhinelander.  Contact:  P.O.  Box 
126,  Rhindelander,  WI  54501 

Racine  Numismatic  Society 

Meets  7:30  on  the  2nd  Thursday  at  Castlewood  Restaurant  in 
Sturtevant  (across  street  from  the  Amtrack  Depot).  Contact 
Bill  Spencer  262-637-7766.  (no  July  or  Aug.  mtg). 

Richland  Center  Coin  Club 

Meets  7:00  p.m.  on  the  3rd  Tuesday  of  each  month  at  the 
Bowling  Alley.  No  meetings  June/July/August.  Contact 
Larry  Schlafer  608-279-1 182. 

Rockford  Area  Coin  Club 

Contact:  Rockford  Area  Coin  Club,  do  Darrell  Schultz,  P.O. 
Box  294,  Cherry  Valley,  IL  61016. 

Sheboygan  Coin  Club 

Meets  at  7:00  every  other  Tuesday  at  Maple  Lanes,  3107  S. 
Business  Dr.,  in  Sheboygan.  Contact  Sheboygan  Coin  Club, 
PO  Box  907,  Sheboygan,  WI  53081. 

South  Shore  Coin  Club 

Meets  at  7:00  p.m.  on  the  2nd  Tuesday  of  each  month  at 
St.  Roman’s  Parish  Office,  1710  W.  Bolivar  Ave.  in  Milwau- 
kee. Contact  Walter  Weis  414-384-7966.  www.ssccmke.org. 

Waukesha  Coin  Club 

Meets  at  7:00  p.m.  on  the  1st  Wednesday  of  each  month 
at  the  Waukesha  Salvation  Army  offices  at  445  Madison 
St.,  Waukesha.  Contact  Forrest  Schumacher,  2300  Avalon 
Drive,  Waukesha,  WI  53186.  Ph:  262-542-5990.  www. 
waukeshacoinclub.com. 

Wisconsin  Valley  Coin  Club 

Meets  at  6:30  on  the  1st  & 3rd  Tuesday  of  each  month  at 
Schofield  Coin  & Hobby,  754  Grand  Ave.,  Schofield,  WI 
54476.  (June,  July,  Aug.  mtg  3rd  Tue.)  Contact  Thad  Street- 
er, 5002  Tanya  St.,  Schofield,  WI  54478.  Ph,  715-542-2777. 


31 


Gary's 

Distributor  for  Whitman  Coin  Products 

Coins  & Stamps 

Wholesale  / Retail  / Mail  Order 

Buy  - Sell  - Trade  - Appraisals 

Chief  Coin  & Supply  Co. 

(Single  items  or  complete  collections) 

Buy  / Sell/  Trade 

U.S.,  (^nadian  & World  Coins 
Tokens  / New  & Used  Coin  Supplies 

Gary  Rosencrans  Coin  J Stamp  Supplies 

P.O.  Box  31  210  West  Grand  Ave. 

P 0.  Box  254  *^*"**^  _ 

/it)-4Zi-U8Z.:  Wisconsin  Rapids,  Wl  54495-0031 

Wl  nanni  mna  920-231-6161 

Oshkosh,  Wl  54903-0254  g20-231-6122 

MMISMATI(]S 

Weiss 

Collectable 

Sai.es 

Ancient,  oMedievd,  (^orei^ 


2011  Advertising  Rates 


Business  Card 

$20 

$6 

1/4  page 

$35 

$10 

1/2  page 

$60 

$18 

Full  page 

$100 

$30 

RO.  Box  400476  Phone/FAX 

Las  Vegas.  NV  89140  702-202-4300 


Buying  Wisconsin  Nationals 


JIM’S  COINS 


(Trades  also  considered) 
also  buying  tokens  from  SW  Wisconsin 

Please  contact  me  ANYTIME 

Bob  McNeill  NOW101L 

P.O.  Box  301  608-935-5021 

Dodgeville,  Wl  53533  608-553-5021  (ceil) 


Major  buyers  of  all  coins  and  bullion. 
Specializing  in  RARE  COINS, 

MINT  ERRORS  and  OLD  RED/BLUE  books. 

Auction  download: 
www.Jimscoins.net 

Full  service  coin  store  in  Madison,  Wl. 
Lower  Level,  Hilldale  Mall 


Ragpicker 


@verizon.net 


(608)  233-2118 


32 


Numismatists  of  Wisconsin 


NOW 

Officers 


President 

Vice  President 

Secretary 

Treasurer 

NOW  News  Editor 

Past  President 

Historian 


Thad  Streeter 
Fred  Borgmann 
Bill  Oldenburg 
Ron  Calkins 
Phyllis  Calkins 
Bill  Brandimore 
Gene  Johnson 


Board  of  Governors  (terms  begin  with  the  NOW  Show) 


2009-2011 


Lee  Hartz 
Ken  Muelling 
Bob  VanRyzin 


2010-2012 
George  Alafouzos 
Tom  Casper 
Jeff  Reichenberger 
Mike  Tramte 


2011-2013 
Bill  Brandimore 
Joel  Edier 
Cliff  Mishler 
Leon  Saryan 


Numismatists  of  Wisconsin 

Membership  Application 

No. 

Name ^ Business  Name 

Address 

street  City  State  Zip 

Phone  No. E-Mail  address 

New  Member  $10  Renewed  Membership  $10  Life  Membership  $150 

Coin  Club  Membership  $10 

Coin  Club  Address 

Send  $10  dues  and  application  to: 

NOW,  PO  Box  155,  Mazomanie,  Wl  53560 


33 


Please  send  information  on  your  upcoming  show  to  the  NOW  News  Editor, 

PO  Box  155,  Mazomanie,  WI  53560.  Include  name  of  club,  location  of  show, 
dates,  hours,  number  of  tables  and  your  show/bourse  chairman’s  name,  address 
and  phone  number. 


February  19, 2012  - Oshkosh 

Wisconsin  Coi  Expos  LLC  29th  annual  coin  show  at 
Oshkosh  Convention  Center,  2 N.  Main  Street, 
Oshkosh,  WI  Hours;  9-4  p.m.  Free  admission  & 
door  prizes.  Contact  Randy  Miller,  920-231-6161 . 

February  26, 2012  - Racine 

Racine  Numismatic  Society’s  Coin  Show  at  Roma 
Lodge,  Racine. 

March  11, 2012  - Brookfield 

Waukesha  Coin  Club’s  43rd  Annual  Coin  Show  at 
American  Legion  Hall,  3245  N.  124th  St.,  Bookfield, 
(across  from  Briggs  & Stratton  Engine  Plant,  1-94  to 
Freeway  45  North,  Exit  Burleigh  St.,  travel  west  on 
Burleigh  to  124th  St.,  North  on  124th  2 blocks). 
Hours  9-4  p.m.  contact;  www.waukeshacoinclub. 
com  or  262-542-5990. 


April  1, 2012  - Appleton 

Fox  Valley  Coin  Club’s  57th  Anual  Spring  Coin  Show 
at  Darboy  Club,  N9695  County  Rd.,  N.  Appleton, 

WI.  Hours;  9-4  p.m.  40  tables.  Show  contact;  James 
Bayer,  PO  Box  1981,Appleton,Wl  54912-1981. 
Phone;  920-739-1089. 

April  15, 2012  - 

Wisconsin  Valley  Coin  Club’s  annual  show.  Contact; 
Thad  Streeter, 

April  18-21, 2012  - CSNS 

Central  States  Numismatic  Society’s  73rd  Anniver- 
sary Convention  at  Renaissance  Hotel  & Convention 
Center,  1551  North  Thoureau  Drive,  Schaumburg,  IL. 

May  6, 2012  - Green  Bay 

Nicolet  Coin  Club’s  show  at  Comfort  Suites/Rock 
Garden,  1951  Bond  St.,  Green  Bay.  Hours;  9-3  p.m. 
30  tables.  Bourse  Chm.  Roger  Bohn,  1345  Ponderosa 
Ave.,  Green  Bay,  WI  54313.  Ph.  920-819-7294. 


March  25, 2012  - Madison 

Numismatists  of  Wisconsin  and  Madison  Coin  Club’s 
Annual  Show  at  the  Sheraton  Hotel,  706  John  Nolan 
Drive,  madi son.  Hours;  9-4  p.m.,  50  tables.  Contact 
Jim  Essence,  Jim’s  Coins,  702  N.  Midvale  Ave., 
Madison,  WI.  Phone  608-233-21 18. 


May  10-12, 2012 -ANA 

National  Money  Show  at  Colorado  Convention 
Center,  Denver,  CO. 

June  23  -29  & June  30-July  6, 2012 

ANA  Summer  Seminar  at  Colorado  Springs,  CO 


March  29-31, 2012  - Milwaukee 

South  Shore  Coin  Club’s  48th  Annual  Show  at 
Wyndham  Hotel  Airport,  4747  South  Howell  Ave., 
Milwaukee.  Hours;  March  29  12;00-5  p.m., 

March  30  10;(X)-5  p.m.;  March  31  10;00-4  p.m. 

$1  donation  over  12  yrs.  First  100  veteran  attendees 
admitted  free.  Free  wcKxien  nickel,  door  prizes. 
Show  chm.  Walter  Weis,  414-384-7966. 

Bouse  chm.  Joe  Bartoszewicz  414-384-7966  or 
jcx;dee7 1 @sbcglobal  .net. 


August  7-11, 2012  - ANA 

ANA  World’s  Fair  of  Money  at  Philadelphia 
Convention  Center,  Philadelphia,  PA. 

August  19, 2012  - Fond  du  Lac 

(date  pending) 

August  26, 2012  - Madison 

Coin  show  at  the  Sheraton  Hotel,  706  John  Nolan 
Drive,  Madison.  Hours;  9-4  p.m..  55  tables.  Show 
contact;  John  Kruehcr,  123  W.  Cook  Street,  Portage, 
WI  53901.  Phone;  608-745-3330. 


34 


2013 


September  30, 2012  - Milwaukee 

Milwaukee  Numismatic  Society’s  annual  coin  show 
at  American  Serb  Memorial  Hall,  5 101  W.  Oklaho- 
ma, Ave.,  Milwaukee.  Hours:  9-4  p.m.  75  tables,  $1 
admission.  Show  chm.  Tom  Casper  414-425-5444; 
tcasper57@hotmail.com.  . 

October  18-20, 2012  - ANA 

National  Money  Show  at  Dallas  Convention  Center, 
Dallas,  TX. 

November  4, 2012  - Madison 

Coin  show  at  the  Sheraton  Hotel,  706  John  Nolan 
Drive,  Madison.  Hours:  9-4  p.m.  55  tables 
Show  contact:  John  Krueger,  123  W.  Cook  Street, 
Portage,  53901.  Ph.  608-745-3330. 


2013  - Numismatists  of  Wisconsin 

at  Sheboygan  Falls. 

August  2013  - ANA 

World’s  Fair  of  Money,  Chicago. 


noticed  <vu.  BRcJoted 
ekedc^oua.  LahtL 
andi^  ilotjLnjudto  tejum., 

tend  in  $10  9tOLU. 


35 


Address  Service  Requested 
NOW  Editor 
PO.  Box  155 
Mazomanie,  Wl  53560 


Presorted  Standard 
U.S.  Postage  Paid 
Mazomanie,  WI  53560 
Permit  No.  3 


0013  L Life 
Cliff  Mishler 

TO:  PO  Box  316 

lola,  Wl  54945-0316 


Be  at  war  with  your  vices,  at 
peace  with  your  neighbors  and 
let  every  New  Year  find  you  a 
better  person.